


Journey of the Heavenly Dragons

by Tohka_Yatogami



Category: Highschool DxD (Anime)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-15
Updated: 2019-04-10
Packaged: 2020-02-10 05:01:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 156,957
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18653410
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tohka_Yatogami/pseuds/Tohka_Yatogami
Summary: (Imported Work from fanfiction.net)Long ago, the world was changed forever after a war divided the realms of Humanity and the Supernatural. After 2000 years, a meeting between two children from each will start a chain of events that will change not only their worlds, but their destinies as well.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is part of my unfinished works, being the second of two reboots, which you can find on FFN as "Legend of the Heavenly Dragons"

**Alright everyone, welcome to Legend of the Heavenly Dragons' rebooted form! Like before, I'll start by letting anyone that's a new reader know this story was first inspired by "The Dragonic Will" by "AzureStoryTeller", which some of you may remember under the name "The Will to Endure and Protect", back when this story's original incarnation first came out.**

**While it changed over time into something more of my own, the whole idea for this story began with asking him if I could use a similar representation to that story's version of a Female Vali, eventually becoming my favorite and greatest fanfic. More importantly though, since we're starting anew from square one, let me be clear from the start that in this story... Vali is the protagonist and Issei is the deuteragonist!**

**Despite that I hadn't started things this way, as time went on, many told me they felt she was the main character. I eventually went this way because most stories either have Issei or an OC as the lead, or Issei isn't a major part due to focusing less on romance. A story where one or more of his love interests have the focus is unexpected and full of potential, especially one that's an Issei/Fem!Vali story due to the potential the pairing (and Fem!Vali) has.**

**Now, most of you likely want to know how things are going to be the same and what will change, aside from the story still being a single pairing between Issei/Vali and taking a similar yet altered story line. Without giving anything away, some of my OCs and the canon crew may appear sooner or later than they once did, a few have roles that may change, but the biggest alteration will be seen through this chapter.**

**Other changes that I should mention and aren't story related? First, the Concept Talks are no more, there won't be any opening songs used at any point, and the end notes won't have any of those crazy extras in the end. I'm not really in the mood to talk about it in full detail, so let's just say that was partially related to why I had my panic attack in the first place.**

**So, with all of that out of the way... let Journey of the Heavenly Dragons begin!**

* * *

**()**  - Albion Talking via the Divine Dividing

 **[]**  - Ddraig Talking via the Boosted Gear

 **«»**  - Consciousness of any other Sacred Gear Talking

 **〖〗**  - Voice Speaking through a Magic Circle

 **【】**  - Voice made by an Announcement or through an Announcer

 **「」**  - Insert Song Beginning or Ending

『』 - Electrical Voice or Machine Speaking

* * *

**_Chapter 1 - A Fateful Meeting_ **

_Earth, a blue planet that's the third from the sun known as Sol, orbited by its single moon known as Luna and housing the race known as Humanity to the cosmos. To many, including the Human race itself, they don't live anywhere special. However, that's only because they don't know the truth behind their world, which to others is known by another name tied to its very origins._

_That name is... DxD._

_Long ago, with the true length of time having been lost to even those who lived back then, the world was covered by a single continent known as Pangaea, ruled by only a single intelligent race that even in the present day stands above all others. These mighty beasts were a reptilian race with wings and the power to breathe mighty forces based on the various forces of nature they lived in, the beings Humanity would eventually come to know as Dragons!_

_Despite the various prehistoric creatures that Humanity would tremble at the thought of dealing with in the present day, they evolved against these threats and eventually stood at the top of the food chain by learning how to enter a resurrection cycle, making it nigh-impossible to kill one. Though if that alone was not what proved their strength, then something else surely did, or more specifically a certain few did._

_In a place close, yet far away from Earth and their fellow kin, the most powerful among the Dragons were born from some of the most primal forces one could imagine. For the longest time even they didn't know one another, with their first meeting causing a huge change that would eventually echo across the world in ways no one could imagine. Some even say their existence was the first hint to something near that level which would change the world._

_Even though only Dragons had existed long before then, at a certain point after they had long existed on our world... a bright light descended on the world, bathing its surface in magic. From that light manifested a being, one that didn't resemble a Dragon or anything else that had existed at the time of its birth. He called himself Elohim, but the people of Humanity would eventually call him by another name that would define all of the similar beings who came after._

_That name... was God!_

_Following his birth, two other powers encompassed the world, those later being known as Chi and Prana, leading to the earliest of the world's Gods descending. With their arrival, new life came onto the world, though the Dragons minded little of them at the time. However, that period wouldn't last long when one of the people who were part of Elohim's group, which would later become the Christian Pantheon, rebelled against him._

_What started as a mere conflict between him and the rebel known as Lucifer escalated until it eventually became a conflict that encompassed the entire world and all within it. This was a conflict that became probably the earliest event in history with a proper recording of its origin, the horror... known as the Great War, and it changed the entire world as everyone knew it._

_The war had simply begun as a battle between the Angels of Heaven against the Devils of Hell, led by Lucifer, who had managed to become the dark equal of God at a certain point in his rebellion. Shortly after, Heaven's forces splintered into thirds, also adding the Fallen Angels that Elohim stripped grace from due to some actions they took, and the Demons who left of their own volition after they replicated what Lucifer had done with a different result._

_However, it didn't take long before others were caught in the crossfire, dragging the entire world into the supernatural equivalent of a World War. The two races who didn't join were the Dragons, who were too strong and didn't feel the war had anything to do with them, and Humanity, who couldn't fight back. Seeing the innocent people suffering, Elohim created a special power only Humanity could possess, wanting to at least give them a means of defend themselves._

_Despite that the Dragons had chosen not to get involved in the war, this wouldn't stay the same for long... or rather, exceptions would eventually be made after a few actions caused a guarantee of their arrival... one that many will never be able to forget._

_Unless a few know of the truth and have kept it hidden, powerful dragons came without warning and immediately razed the battlefield. With little effort, both Elohim and Lucifer, who had been considered at the top among the most powerful beings in the world except the Dragon Gods who had yet to involve themselves with the world's affairs... learned these Dragons had been powerful enough to exceed them, destroying all doubts over how powerful they were._

_A ceasefire was called to try and stop them, but to no avail, which ultimately forced the very gift that Elohim gave to Humanity to be what stopped these rampaging Dragons by trapping their entire bodies and souls within two of these treasures. With this feat, they finally gained a name that everyone uses in the present day, the Sacred Gears._

_Eventually, sometime after this event, the Great War finally ended when without warning or explanation... the continent of Pangaea burst apart! Many factions and/or races were destroyed by the horrible battle without any side as a victory, leaving those who survived to settle into what would become the continents of the present today. Despite tensions still being strong between most, no one was willing to start another war, so they formed a loose truce of sorts._

_Humanity either went extinct or near-extinction during this time, with those who could verify this refusing to speak about it. The matter became even more complicated when Elohim's son, Jesus, sacrificed himself to bring salvation to Humanity either by helping them recover or doing the impossible and restoring their race._

_Generations passed until Humanity entered what they know today as their modern age, but unlike they did in the past, they've spent the last 2000 years completely unaware of our existence, believing us as mere legends we made sure to leave the supernatural as while hiding in plain sight beyond their reach. Even though times seem peaceful, something could always be lurking beneath our notice._

_However, just as people can fall into despair... they can also find or even create hope!_

* * *

_A majestic butterfly with an iridescent body and nature green wings was seen flying around in obvious sight, yet everyone seemed either oblivious to it or were completely unable to see it. However, as it flew around, a single person suddenly stopped and turned as it passed by, either noticing it or sensing it flying by._

_" **Most stories or fables people know of that fit the legends of the supernatural and mythological worlds Humanity can't remember were real, but that doesn't mean a new legend can't be born.** "_

_While flying into the sky even faster, the sight of many more people noticing this butterfly by sight or it passing by them. As it flew by such people, it did a twirl for each of them, almost as if out of reflex or a willing act because it knew of something they didn't know themselves._

_" **They can be as vast as the Heavens or as deep as Hell, as simple as single man or woman journeying across the sea... yet as extraordinary as the Dragons that had been the first life to seed this world and become intelligent lifeforms.** "_

_Flying straight up, the butterfly circled around in a spiral pattern before it flew into the clouds of Heaven, landing on a flower in a garden paradise._

_A flash went off as that butterfly began to change._

_" **Soon enough, the world will face a big threat. The Great War brought us despair, leaving wounds and scars that have yet to heal, but... one day I truly believe it will regain the beauty it once began with and then evolve into something even greater through the growth the Great War left behind.** "_

_The glow ended, showing the sight of a woman with nature green hair and an outfit that had a tribal theme, almost as if it were trying to represent mother nature itself._

_" **My wish is that such hope will create a new legend that I want to believe... no, that I'm certain will come!** "_

_Right at that moment, she turned around to reveal sky blue eyes that briefly gave an iridescent shine to them, showing tears of joy as she did._

_" **This is the Journey... of the Heavenly Dragons!** "_

_Everyone she passed in the form of a butterfly looked up as the light of the night sky filled with stars quickly came, showing silhouettes beside each of them that one day would play a vital role in their lives._

* * *

**~ Kuoh Town: Summer, 2006**

Out in a park area, a boy who looked to be 5-years with crimson-red hair that reached past his shoulders and green eyes was seen, his hands currently holding a ball that looked to be around the size of his head.

Standing across from him was a girl with golden-orange hair tied near the mid-back in a budding ponytail and violet eyes was readying herself for his throw.

"Alright Irina, here it comes!" The boy shouted.

"OK Issei!" She shouted back, readying herself.

Throwing it into the air, Irina scurried before bouncing it up with her head, showing it was a game to see how many times she could bounce it on her head.

"1, 2..." She quietly counted.

"Tree!" Issei warned.

Irina looked at him in confusion, unaware of what she was moving towards.

"No, that's not how you pronounce 3-" She replied.

*"TWHOMP!"*

Issei winced as she backed into the tree behind her, the ball landing on her head once more before falling onto the ground and rolling back to Issei's feet.

"Oh, you meant an actual tree..." Irina realized, falling face forward after saying it.

"Irina, are you OK!?" Issei shouted, rushing to her side in an instant.

She slowly rose her head, showing a bit of dirt that stuck to her from its recent impact with the ground.

"I'm not sure, how do you know if you have a concussion?" She asked.

"Uh... how many of me do you see?" Issei asked, knowing no other way to prove it.

"Just one of you." Irina answered.

"Then you're fine... at least I think you are." He reassured her.

*"HONK! HONK!"*

Issei and Irina looked up before seeing the latter's father in the family car, waving to them.

"Issei, Irina! Time to head back!" He called out.

"Huh? But we've only been here for a few minutes, and you said we had half an hour!" Irina complained.

"Yeah, but your mom asked us to come back early. It seems we have new neighbors moving in." Touji apologized.

Both of them showed surprise at that.

* * *

As they drove back home, the house on the side of Issei's that was opposite to Irina's had a large moving truck pulled up near it. Both of them widened their eyes as the pressed against the window in awe and surprise towards the truck's unexpected appearance.

They hadn't been told of anything or even given a heads up that they were getting new neighbors in the recent days, leaving their arrival as quite the shock.

"Since you might be wondering why we didn't tell you, seems like whoever bought the house did it only yesterday. We didn't even see that it had been sold until that truck drove up." Touji admitted.

Opening the door for them, both kids jumped out as they saw a pair of adults around all the boxes being taken out of the truck.

"Look at that, there's the new neighbors right now." He said, noticing them.

Both children turned in his direction and saw the couple that had moved in. The man had a lean yet strong figure to his appearance, possessing silvery-white hair that reached a bit below his shoulders and fierce red eyes which shined like flaming rubies. He wore a red shirt with an unbuttoned black shirt over it, wheat-colored khaki shorts, brown boots, and red fingerless gloves.

As for the woman that was his wife, she was an incredibly voluptuous woman with beauty so incredible that it easily surpassed all women in the world. This was further proven by having breasts massive enough to make all woman look tiny in comparison.

She had messy black hair that reached past her hips, with a red scrunchy tying it by the area at her waist, and clear blue eyes that shimmered like sapphires. For her attire, it consisted of an open lavender jacket that showed a silver dress that ended with a triangle frill pattern underneath it, pale jean shorts, and black/red sneakers with below kneecap length socks of a dark blue color.

'Is it just me, or does this woman seem familiar?' Irina thought.

The golden-haired girl knew she had definitely never seen her before, yet something about her appearance felt like she should at least know who she was. Only problem was it was stuck on the tip of her tongue.

While on Issei's side, he was... staring at her massively large chest, blinking as his mind wandered.

'I think her chest is as big as my mommy's is, why is that?' He thought, unaware of how it would have sounded to everyone had they actually heard him say it out loud.

Right at that moment, the sight of Issei's father walking out could be seen.

He had red hair like his son and red-orange eyes, but rather than the crimson tone Issei had, his shade of red was a vivid scarlet color. His choice of attire was a light blue hooded T-Shirt with purple shorts that had vertical light green stripes on the side.

"Don't think I've got anything fancy to say, other than welcoming you both to our neighborhood." Shinri greeted.

"Fair enough, I don't have anything like that to say on my end either, so think that you can help us take a few of these boxes inside?" The man asked, shrugging a bit.

Shinri chuckled at that challenge, lifting one box under each arm.

As he was doing this, the sight of Issei's mother walking out could be seen, carrying a 4-year old small hitchhiker on her back.

"Should have figured you were already out here." She giggled, looking at her husband.

His mother was revealed to look exactly like the black-haired woman, almost like they were identical twins if it wasn't for her hair being a pure white hair color that was tied into a long braid she held with a light blue ribbon. Another difference was she had green eyes like gleaming emeralds.

Emphasizing her beauty figure that was the sole equal to the black-haired woman was her choice of attire, which consisted of a light gold shirt that had a dress like ruffle in front of it that showed pink jean shorts under it. She also had a string necklace with a platinum heart charm with a rainbow gem hanging from top of its inside area. Her shoes were also the same as her apparent "twin", only they were a white/blue color, as were her socks that were half the size and pink in color.

"Hey, it's been too long!" The black-haired woman shouted, a smile on her face.

"Good to see you!" Issei's mother smiled back.

The two hugged each other, surprising all three children over the fact that they seemed to already know each other. Then again... both of their husbands had been friendly by the standard of strangers.

"Mommy, who is this lady? Do you know her?" The young girl asked, moving enough to be seen fully.

Like her father and brother, she had red hair, also possessing the same red eyes as her father. Compared to the men of her family, her hair was less saturated and more of a red-orange color, but hers was much longer to show she was a girl, reaching a bit past the middle of her back.

"Ah, my apologies Homura." Her mother replied.

She knelt to the ground to let her daughter slide off her back, then stood back up as she motioned to the black-haired woman.

"This is an old friend of mine, one that I consider my older sister." She explained.

"As, so this is your little girl. You chose a good name for this little firecracker. Not only that, she looks as energetic as the Summer sun." The woman giggled.

Issei's mother laughed playfully in return, which is when the black-haired woman saw Issei and Irina.

"Let's see... based on this boy's red hair and the fact he shares your face, he must be your son. While that golden hair can only mean you must be Irina Shidou." She realized.

"Wait, are you saying that you know my mom?" Irina asked.

"Not as well as Issei's, but we are familiar enough to be considered close friends and have a small reunion party." The woman answered.

Right as that was said, some of the boxes were heard shaking, making everyone look.

"Uh... is one of the boxes alive?" Homura fearfully asked as she pointed towards it, showing a 4-year old's innocent naivete.

"Oh no, my daughter's just hiding behind it." The woman clarified.

All of the children were surprise that the couple who just moved here were already parents based on how young they looked, despite their own parents looked just as young.

"Really?" Irina asked.

"That's right, and she's actually the same age as you and Issei are, so I hope you'll get along with her." She smiled.

Walking over behind the box, a few more shook as she got close.

"Don't be scared, go and say hi. Your father and I will be right here in case you need us for any reason." The woman reassured her daughter.

The shaking stop, and she held onto her child's shoulder.

"Everyone, this is my daughter Valiana." The woman smiled, pulling her into view.

When the young girl finally came into view, Issei's eyes shined at the sight he saw.

This girl was incredibly cute, having her father's silvery-white hair and her mother's blue eyes, giving her a sense of ethereal beauty that neither of her parents had from the combination. Her hair reached down to her chest, some of it even resting over it, with a long strand seen between her eyes.

She wore a black shirt covered in white stars designs of various sizes, a blue tie-up jacket over it, and faded blue-gray jean shorts that made her look simply... amazing!

"H-hi there..." She greeted, twiddling her pointer fingers together.

Lifting her eyes up, she met with the green orbs that were Issei's, causing the same shine to appear that were seen in his eyes a few moments ago.

"Nice to meet you Valini... uh, Valentine... hold on, that's wrong too." He greeted back.

Scratching his head a bit, Issei realized he was unable to pronounce her full name, so he decided to give her a nickname.

"Do you mind if I just call you Vali?" He inquired.

"Uh... not at all, I kind of like it." She replied.

Vali didn't notice it, but she gave a small smile and blush, immediately catching her mother's attention. While her father... he felt his left eye twitching.

'I suggested nicknames for her and she told me no to all of them! Yet when he gives one to her, she accepts it?' He thought, feeling his pride take a hit.

"Nice to meet you Vali, welcome to the neighborhood." The golden-haired girl smiled.

Getting closer to the silvery-white haired girl, Issei offered his hand to her, making her blink as she looked at the hand placed before her.

"Wanna go play together?" Issei asked.

"S-sure thing, lead the way." Vali replied, smiling lightly as she placed his hand on hers.

With that, Issei pulled Vali towards his backyard as Irina and Homura followed her, surprising Lilith a bit as she watched them leave.

"Amazing, that's the first time I've ever seen Vali so open towards anyone." She remarked.

Her husband's grumbling soon reached her ears, making her turn as he saw him drawing his finger on the side of the truck before she gave a light smile.

"You really do have a sense of pride over things as small as your daughter getting a nickname." She giggled.

"Laugh all you want, at least for the moment. I have to have some kind of pride towards stuff like this! You do remember who I am, right?" He replied, raising an eye at her.

She shook her head at her husband's antics.

"Of course I do, that's why I fell in love with you." She replied, giving his cheek a gentle pinch.

* * *

In a certain office area of Kuoh, the sight of Cleria Belial was seen as she looked over some papers, taking a deep yawn from the fatigue of her work as she wrote her last signature on the files before her.

"And their residential documents have been finalized... congrats for our..." She said tiredly, slumping onto her desk.

"You've done enough for today, I think you can take a break now." A male voice stated, touching her shoulder.

Looking behind her, she saw the sight of a man with long black hair looking at her, making her smile a bit as her eyes made contact with the man she knew as her husband.

"Hey Masaomi, did you get everything done for today?" Cleria asked, clearly struggling to stay awake.

Instead of using his words, he replied by bringing her into a princess carry, making her blush a little before she continued blushing with a smile.

"Come on, let's get you rested up for now. It won't be long before you're done with this job and can pass it on." Masaomi softly whispered to her.

"Masaomi, are you trying to imply something?" She teased.

She felt him kiss her on the forehead and then walked them to their room, leading Cleria to rest her head on his chest as she let her work for the day come to an end.

Although, the choice to end things early may have caused something important to be left unfinished.

* * *

Homura pretended to roar as she chased after her brother and the older girls of the group, with Issei chuckling, Irina giggling, and Vali pretending to panic as she did.

"I'm a tiger, I gonna eat you for snacks!" Homura shouted.

"Someone, please save us! This tiger's really hungry!" Vali exclaimed, holding her hands up in the ear.

Kicking off the ground, Homura jumped at Irina, tackling her to the ground before she started biting her ear. Irina fake cried within her laughter as she reached a hand out towards the others.

"The Tiger's got me! Please save me, or at least tell my parents I love them!" She begged.

While the redheaded girl was kicking around, some of the dirt dust got near Vali's nose, making it twitch a bit as she made a familiar warning sound.

*"ACHOO!"*

Everyone tumbled a bit as Vali released a loud sneeze, causing twelve black wings to pop out of her back. They were still developing, so all of them were pretty small, but they were noticeable enough for anyone that could see them.

Blushing in horror as she realized they had come out, she quickly retracting them using her hands. Lucky for her, she managed to hide them before any her new friends could learn what she really was.

"Holy macaroni... Vali, that sneeze was like a rocket!" Issei exclaimed.

"Uh... is that a good thing?" She asked, barely keeping a poker face over what had just happened with her wings.

"For most boys, Homura, and myself? Definitely." Irina answered.

She had no idea how to reply to that, so Vali just gave a playful laugh in response. This caused the rest of the kids to join her.

At the same time, unaware to any of them, something was seen lurking within the trees as it gave a vicious smirk. Right at the moment it chose to vanish from view, Touji chose to walk into the backyard.

"Hey kids, since Issei's parents are going to help our new neighbors settle in, they say I can bring you all back to the park for longer than before." He stated.

"Really? Yay, it's park time!" Irina cheered.

All of them ran to the car, with whatever had been watching them slowly following from out of sight.

* * *

Touji stopped his car at the park once again, looking at the kids as they went to the area that Issei and Irina had been playing in when they left.

"Hey kids, promise me you'll stay around this area? I'm gonna take a nap for a bit." He requested.

"We promise!" They all shouted.

Plugging in his earphones, Touji turned on some relaxing music from his radio and closed his eyes, quickly entering a state of slumber as a result. Irina gave an awkward chuckle as she saw this.

"And he put the music on. Whenever he does that, he ends up  _napping_  for more than just a bit." She remarked.

"How long will he be asleep for?" Vali inquired.

"Usually around... about 45 minutes to an hour?" Irina guessed from memory.

With that question out of the way, the group of four began playing anyways they could, causing time to fly by before anyone knew it as Touji still hadn't woken up from his nap. This caused all of them to completely miss the fact it was starting to get dark.

Only when Vali's unique vision as a Devil was able to detect the shift in lighting to let her see better did it become clear that night was fast approaching.

"Hey guys, it looks like it's pretty late." She mentioned.

"Wait, is it already night time?" Issei realized, looking up.

Irina blinked a bit, soon realizing something they hadn't been aware of when they left for the park.

"Uh oh... does anyone remember what time it was when we got here?" She asked.

Everyone went silent at that.

"Oh man, have we been here for more than an hour then? Why hasn't my dad woken up yet!?" Irina realized, starting to panic.

"Should we bang the car door and wake him up?" Homura suggested.

"Hmm... yeah, not like we can really do anything else." Issei replied.

However, as they all went near it to do the deed, Vali suddenly froze as she felt something odd.

"Eh?" Issei blinked, noticing her as she stopped.

Looking around, Vali's frightened face didn't fade away as she tried to figure out the direction of what was making her instincts warn her of danger.

It didn't take long before that danger got closer, making the sky go purple and hide the crescent moon, making Homura whimper as got near Issei.

"Big brother, where'd the moon go?" She asked, starting to cry.

"Uh, well..." He tried and understandably failed to answer.

"I've finally got you all. The foul fickle smells you're emitting, I wonder if they'll be sweet... or bitter!" A female voice said, her tone more haunting than any sound in the night.

Homura started crying more, with even Irina and Vali getting close to Issei, but the latter's terror was more evident because she actually  _knew_  what was going on. The only problem was she couldn't say anything out of fear for how her new friends would see her if she did.

"Who cares, all I want is to eat some delicious food!" She exclaimed.

The sight of a woman with long white hair and a drunken look on her face came into view, her mouth open to show she had what looked to be fangs for teeth.

'Oh no, that Stray... her aura's incredibly powerful!" Vali panicked.

"First, I think I'll spice you up with some fear!" Viser announced.

The Stray Devil hunched her body before she started growing, shredding her clothes apart as her back bent over to grow another pair of arms from her waist. All of stared as she transformed into a Centaur with forelegs resembling hands.

"No way, is... this a real monster?" Issei gasped, hugging his younger sister as she immediately released a loud scream.

"God, please save us!" Irina begged.

Viser began laughing at their reactions, her voice having somehow undergone a heavy distortion from her transformation.

"Now, time for dinner!" She exclaimed.

Roaring as she lunged at them, Vali looked at her friends and the monster coming after them, feeling her breathing get a bit unsteady.

Closing her eyes, she raised her left arm as she was forced to take action.

" **Sacred Gear!** "

A huge light went off, making the Stray Devil stop as her eyes saw a white gauntlet appear on her left hand, with all twelve of her small Devil wings unfolding into view.

"Vali?" Issei said in surprise.

"Hold on... that number of wings, that white gauntlet on your right hand, that silvery-white hair... of course! You're the miracle child of Hell, Valiana Lucifer!" The Stray realized.

Irina's eyes widened at that, knowing that name very well as she started to understand why she felt like she recognized Vali's mother.

"The Devil King?" She realized.

"If you don't leave these three alone, I'll... I'll..." Vali threatened, her legs shaking legs as she did.

While silence followed for a moment, the Stray Devil quickly began to laugh at the daughter of Lucifer in a mocking tone, immediately making the Young Devil feel nervous.

"As if you can threaten me? While I'm not foolish enough to do anything to you, there's nothing that protects your friends!" Viser exclaimed, raising one of her front claws.

Lunging it forward, Irina found herself the target.

"Get away from her!" Issei screamed with rage, swinging his right arm forward.

While it seemed like it was a futile effort on his end, right as he made contact...

*"FLASH!"*

A huge red light went off, getting Vali's attention as she saw it. The Stray Devil was knocked to the ground and caused a thud that instantly woke Touji up.

"What the heck!?" He exclaimed.

Looking outside, Touji gasped as he saw his daughter and the other children being threatened by Viser.

"Oh man, he is so going to kill me when we get home!" He shouted, immediately reaching into his pocket.

Vali's eyes were still shaking over what she just witnessed, that being the sight of Issei's hand having a red version of her own gauntlet, but on his right hand instead. He apparently didn't even notice it was on his hand.

'Am I really that strong?' He wondered, the punch's strength being all that surprised him at the moment.

Getting back on her feet, the Stray Devil gave an angry look as she charged towards the children once again... only for Touji to rush by as she swung a blade of light, making her scream as her forelegs were burnt into blackened nubs.

"An exorcist? No, get the hell away from me!" She screamed, either threatening or begging him by the sound of its tone.

"You are a blight on this world, now begone!" Touji screamed.

Raising his sword, Viser unleashed her last scream as he struck a vertical cut across her body, which was immediately fatal as she dissolved like a bar of soap in water.

"Are any of you hurt?" Touji asked.

"N-no, we're OK... at least physically." Homura sniffled, her fear having yet to subside in any form.

Irina looked at her father, making him look at her.

"Well, guess you know why I never told what my job is..." He chuckled awkwardly.

"Daddy, what are you?" She asked.

"Best way to answer that... I'm an exorcist that serves Heaven through the church, so I'm basically a hunter for monsters and other rogue creatures like that Stray Devil you just ran into." Touji revealed.

"Wait, as in the Bible stuff you always talk about when I'm at your house?" Issei asked.

Touji nodded his head, soon looking at Vali who held her head down, making him tap the young boy on the back in response.

"Issei, by chance did you see any wings on her back?" He mentioned.

Realizing what Irina's father was trying to tell him, Issei walked up to Vali, causing her to step back in fear.

"Vali, you were... amazing!" He exclaimed.

Touji blinked a bit while Vali's eyes widened, as while he was hoping for Issei to make her feel better... he didn't expect him to say that in the slightest.

"I... what?" She said, completely surprised by his words.

"You stood up that weirdo like some kind of super hero! Me and Irina have always played the role, but we've never seen anyone do it for real!" He smiled.

"But... you saw my wings, that I'm not..." She replied, her voice quiet.

"Why does that matter Vali? Because no matter what you are, you're still Vali, right?" Issei replied, seeing nothing wrong.

Her eyes widen at that, seeing him grin with his eyes closed.

Before she knew it, Issei opened his eyes back up as he heard the sound of the young Devil crying.

"Oh no, please don't cry! I didn't mean to make you..." He panicked.

He immediately felt her hug him, making him blush as felt her budding breasts that were the result of her mother's unique biology mixed with her Devil nature.

"Thank you... thank you!" She cried, making it clear her tears were ones of joy instead of sorrow.

"Happy tears, that's good." He sighed in relief.

As he went to rub his head... the gauntlet that everyone but Vali seemed to be unaware of poked the side of his head, making him shout in pain.

"Ow, why's my hand feel... so..." He questioned, looking towards his right hand.

His words fell short as he finally saw it.

"Uh... what the heck is this and why isn't it coming off?" Issei asked, panicking as he failed to remove it.

"No way... he's its wielder?" Touji breathed.

* * *

High in the clouds where the golden-yellow sky of Heaven resided, the scene opened to the Seventh Heaven, where a man with faded white hair and gray eyes was seen on a throne.

The man's attire consisted of a golden robe covered in white markings, though he himself looked quite lethargic, currently having an Angel massage his shoulders.

"Father, you seem more tense than usual. Has there been anything bothering you recently?" She asked out of concern, finding some deep knots within the muscles in his shoulders.

"It's been hard to tell at times, especially with all to look over from this truce. I'm lucky that most have been following Sandalphon and Metatron's examples." He answered.

Right as she said this, a female Angel with short blue hair spread out to the sides slightly rushed into view before kneeling on the ground, being one of the two he just mentioned.

"Father, urgent news!" She announced.

Hearing this, the stressed founder of Heaven felt his body wake up from its lethargic state and fixed his sitting position. Considering she was the Shinou that represented the virtue of Diligence, most of what she often learned was often something important.

"What is it Metatron?" He questioned.

"One of the Longinus has gone back into its active state, the Boosted Gear." Metatron revealed.

Elohim gasped.

"Do you know who the wielder is?" Elohim inquired, looking expectant.

"Yes, it's...  _her_  son." She confirmed.

Hearing this, the Biblical God's eyes immediately widened at what this meant. When he finally shrugged off the shock, he looked at Metatron, making her raise her head as he pointed at her.

"Gather the other Shinou here, all of us need to talk about what this means." He ordered.

"At once Father!" Metatron replied.

Her twelve white wings spread out before flying off, leaving Elohim to slump further into his throne, causing the Angel massaging him to resume her work.

* * *

In an area underneath Heaven, showing a land with a green sky in what looked similar to the Garden of Eden in a lesser quality, various Angels with black wings were flying around as a certain building came to focus.

A man with hair that was both gold and black in color was tinkering with some kind of device, showing heavy focus in his violet eyes... until he heard a knock on the door.

"Honey, it's me and Yuuma. May we come in?" His wife asked.

Pushing his device to the side, he cleared his throat.

"Go ahead, I'm free." He answered.

Opening the door, the sight of an annoyed Fallen Angel with long purple hair and a voluptuous figure walked in, wearing a work dress that actively revealed her cleavage and figure without any shame.

Behind her was a young girl with luscious black hair and her father's eyes, although... the left one just happened to have a dark ring around it.

"Oh god, sweetie! What happened to your eye?" Azazel questioned.

"Guess who?" Penemue replied.

"Ugh... she's been a real pain in the ass since she became a teenager. Where did she get this from?" He groaned.

Motioning over to him, Yuuma walked up to her father as he got out a bit of lotion to put over the bruised area.

"Regardless of what, we need to fix it." Penemue sighed.

"Mom, don't forget the other thing." Yuuma reminded her, closing the injured eye as the lotion was applied on the lid as well.

Penemue's eyes widened at that.

"Oh right, we just got news that some interesting Sacred Gear activity just lit up in Kuoh Town, seems like a new Longinus activated." She revealed.

"Wait, did you say Kuoh Town? Do you think..." Azazel questioned.

"There's no way for us to be certain, as it was fairly brief. Seems like we should go over the most recent readings on the Longinus we have right now to verify it." Penemue replied, throwing in her suggestion.

After a few more seconds, the dark spot on Yuuma's eye was gone, albeit still a little sore due to the recent damage it had taken.

"Last I remember, the most recent one was the True Longinus?" She suggested.

"I think it was, now the question is where did I leave those files at?" Azazel confirmed, scratching his chin.

He opened his cabinet and dug through it.

* * *

Within a land that resembled a modern version of medieval Europe with a technological focus, the sight of one grand castle could be seen as a woman in a pink robe with long blue hair was sitting on its throne as she played on a gaming handheld.

"Hey Cassiel, honey!" A man's voice called out.

Pausing her game, the woman raised her head to see her husband walk into view. He was an incredibly handsome man with silky ivory hair that reached to his shoulders and then curled up as if it had natural gelling to it.

To be more specific, his appearance had the same kind of majesty that Vali's mother had, almost like he was a male version of her.

"Hey Adam, what is it?" She inquired.

Right as she asked that, the man once known as the first Human man raised his hand, showing some kind of weapon that immediately got his wife's attention.

"Did you finally reverse-engineer that Salathavean Weapon!?" Cassiel asked excitedly.

"Well, let's just say I tried to build a copy of it, and I thought you'd like to see it if this one works." He replied, looking excited.

"Oh Adam, so thoughtful as always." She smiled, holding her blushing cheeks.

Having said that, she tapped the machine's activation button, leaving the two to wait for the device to show itself working. They waited for a bit...

And waited...

Eventually, they waited too long to stop questioning it and looked confused.

"Did I do it wrong?" Cassiel wondered.

"No, you definitely hit the right button. Maybe I crossed a wire wrong?" Adam reassured her, scratching his head.

Tapping it with his knuckle, an explosion of smoke hit the two.

"Ah, it was a failure. The technology of the Salathavean Kingdom is as difficult to recreate as always." He chuckled, wiping his face on his sleeve.

Rushing into the room, the sight of a young girl came into view.

She had pink eyes that both had a beauty mark at the end closer to her cheeks, with long cobalt hair that reached down to her waist, being tied in wavy twin tails with some curling and spilling a lot of hair over her shoulders. For added attractiveness, she had a few long strands going in front of her face.

"Mom! Dad! I saw smoke, is there a fire!?" She panicked.

"Not at all Kelsey, it was the usual." Adam answered, showing his ruined prototype to her daughter.

A drop of sweat formed on her cheek.

"No matter how many times you tell me, I will still never understand how you and mom fell in love, and that's saying something considering how everyone chose her as our Demon Queen." Kelsey sighed.

Cassiel released a playful laugh before rubbing her daughter's head.

"Oh, did you hear the news?" Kelsey asked.

Both of them looked confused, honestly having no idea what kind of news their daughter was referring to.

* * *

Touji shook a bit as he parked in his house, fairly sure what he was about to experience once he walked near either house, though the strong energy in Issei's house was enough to tell him where they were waiting.

'Oh boy, I'm really hoping Issei's mother can keep the other three from mauling me.' He begged, lucky his wife was absent.

He didn't want to risk being grilled by her alongside the others, even though he was sure she would give him a huge lecture the moment she returned and learned about this.

If there was one thing he feared from his wife, it was her lectures.

"Uh... hey Dad? When are you going to open the door?" Irina asked.

He groaned as his body shook.

After he opened the car door, the kids all got out as he stood before Issei's house, quickly feeling a hand on his shoulder as the sight of Lucifer staring at him an angry stare.

"Hello there Touji, I hope you have a  _very_  good reason behind why my daughter was in danger for even a small period of time!" He said quietly, rage ebbing out of his words.

"No one talk to my dad for a bit, trust me." Vali warned.

Issei and his sister both gulped, while Irina simply moved behind the two as she gave a nervous shiver.

Walking inside, Issei's mom was the only calm one, with Lilith and Shinri being angry just like Lucifer.

'Oh god, they wanna kill me!' Touji thought, sweating heavily.

Standing up, Issei's mother put a hand on their shoulders before looking at Lucifer with the gentlest look any motherly woman could ever give.

"Let's all calm down. Even if they were in danger, none of us realized it either." She reminded them.

Her words caused a momentary pause before Lucifer walked away and sat down, simply crossing his arms and giving a pout with puffy cheeks as he showed the pride he was known for.

"Thank you..." Touji breathed, bowing as he made a prayer motion.

"I wouldn't thank me yet, I know that won't help with your wife when she finally gets back." She warned, still smiling.

Touji slumped, soon sitting on the couch himself.

"Uh... so, what's going on right now?" Homura asked, looking a little confused.

"First, guess we need to ask you this... what kind of danger did you run into?" Lilith asked, looking at her daughter.

"It was a Stray Devil." Vali revealed.

Lucifer showed surprise at that, but quickly sighed in understanding.

"Cleria has been overworked from our decision to come here, I don't blame her for one Stray managing to slip through the cracks." He groaned, rubbing his face.

"It also happened while I was asleep in the car, as my job does get exhausting." Touji apologized.

Shinri's cheeks puffed up as he tried not to laugh at that.

"However, it also let me see a red gauntlet form on Issei's right hand when he tried to defend Vali." He added.

Shinri and Issei's mother showed brief surprise, leaving Lucifer and Lilith to outright freeze for a brief moment at what they just heard. Looking at their daughter, both of them started to wonder something.

"Mom, dad?" Issei blinked, looking worried.

"We planned to tell you one day, but... we didn't think it would be this soon." Shinri sighed, rubbing the back of his head.

Standing up, he pulled his daughter onto his lap while motioning Issei to get closer.

He did just that, choosing to sit by his mother as she took his hand in her own, making her take a deep breath before looking at him with a warming smile.

"First, I think you deserve to know who I really am." His mother began.

"What do you mean? You're my mom, right?" He asked, not getting what she had actually meant by that.

"And I am sweetie, but you don't know me beyond that fact." She replied.

She looked at Irina, who looked back as she expected something that related to her being tied to what she was about to tell them all.

"Irina, how much of the bible do you know of?" She asked.

"Uh... I know most of the people in it and what they do, does that help?" Irina answered, hoping her answer was good enough.

"Yes, so let me ask you this... who was born from one of Adam's ribs?" She questioned.

Hearing that, Irina's eyes widened before she fell on her butt, spouting gibberish as she realized who Issei's mother was... who she had been around all this time when near her.

"You're... you're Eve, the first Human Woman!" She realized.

While they only understood a portion of that, Issei and Homura both looked at their mom in surprise as she nodded her head.

"Yes, indeed I am. Though why Adam and I aren't together is... let's just say that's a story for another time." Eve confirmed.

Irina noticed the pause, but decided not to ask.

"Anyways, as that might tell you? Things from myth, religion, and the supernatural? While there's a few wrong accounts and actual myths among them... nearly anything within them is real. Irina's mother herself is none other than the Angel known as Gabriel." Lucifer revealed.

"Mom's an... Angel!?" Irina gasped.

"Actually, so am I, but... not in the same way." Touji chuckled.

Irina was confused.

"Eh... your mom and I will tell you when you're older." He promised, knowing that the explanation was too complicated for a child to understand.

Luckily for him, his daughter was confused enough to be more focused on poking her back, trying to get to the wings she now knew of to appear.

"As for that gauntlet you and Vali both used? It's a kind of treasure called a Sacred Gear, one that only Humans can wield if they get lucky... or sometimes unlucky, at birth. The one you have is the counterpart to my daughter's." Lucifer revealed.

"That actually confuses me. You and Lilith became pureblooded Devils after you left Heaven, so... how was Vali born with any human heritage?" Eve asked.

"We actually asked the Naberius Clan about that. Based on what they learned, this is something the two of us and Adam have due to our unique births that has our half of the genetics read as Human during the fertilization process. Only thing they can't prove is if it's a one-time deal or not since I'm waiting a while before I have another child." Lilith explained.

Eve blinked a bit, making Lilith give an awkward chuckle.

"Yeah, the fact you stayed human means you never had to learn of that fact." She mentioned.

Vali gave an embarrassed laugh.

"OK, back on track? You have what we know as the Boosted Gear... a Sacred Gear that I know fairly well. It was already a miracle on its own when my daughter was born with its counterpart." Lucifer explained.

"What do you mean?" Issei asked.

"Both of them have the souls of Dragons sealed inside of them, ones that me and Elohim fought... oh, and in case Irina asks? That's what God's real name is." He answered.

The golden-haired Angel put her hand down in response.

"Uh... to be honest, none of this makes any sense to me." Issei admitted, rubbing his head as his brain started hurting.

"Don't think too much of it right now. You're still young, so telling you is the most we'll do until then. Even Vali can't actually use her Sacred Gear beyond making it appear just yet, and we can't blame her." Lilith reassured him.

"Just know that as long as you all be careful as you've usually been before this, things should be fine until the day you can understand arrives." Shinri encouraged.

No one really got it, but since their parents said they wouldn't? They didn't think too much about it.

Right now, they deserved to live out a normal childhood before involvement with the supernatural world became inevitable to them.

* * *

In some dark realm, the sight of crimson flames burned without warning.

Just a few seconds after that, a white glow moved throughout the flames, showing the silhouette of two beings who could only barely be seen by their outlines. All that could be clearly made out were their eyes, which glowed the same colors as the two elements they stood within.

**["You felt it didn't you?"]**

**("That I have. Not only do I sense us near each other, the two we've currently been bonded with... I think they may be the ones we were told of.")**

The red-eyed silhouette lowered his head, his eyes showing themselves closed by becoming flat lines.

**["If that is truly the case, then you know what we must do. It will be some time before the rest of the pieces fall into line for what is to come. Remember the promise made to us, what we are fighting for."]**

The white-eyed silhouette nodded her head in response.

**("Never will I forget it. For now, this is a short parting until they find us in the coming years.")**

**["Let us hope it goes well..."]**

With that, the glow and flames disappeared, leaving no traces of either silhouette.

* * *

Deep within a realm with an orange-colored sky, the sight of a woman in a red and blue kimono with black hair she had tied in a traditional Japanese bun was seen meditating as some of her fellow Youkai circled around her.

Her spiritual focus would be forced into a pause as a ghostly flame burned into view, making her open her eyes as a man with white hair that wore an orange and green kimono appeared before her.

"Ah, it's usually such a surprise to see you here. Is there something wrong?" Izanami asked.

"Not at all, but it seems that I just felt an interesting chi flow you might want to hear of." Izanagi answered, kneeling by his wife.

Putting a hand to her ear, he whispered it.

It didn't take long before her to cover her mouth and release a silent gasp.

"Wow, that truly is a surprise." She remarked.

"Yes, it seems like things will take an interesting direction in the next few years. The question is how?" Izanagi replied.

"Hmm... somehow, I think part of me has an inkling." Izanami giggled.

Confused by the words his wife had just spoken, he gave her a raised eyebrow that she chose to answer with nothing more than a teasing wink.

* * *

Deep within the summit of Mount Meru, the sight of a black-haired boy was seen as he swung a spear around, thrusting through a few living dummies in his path. Watching from a distance were the trio of Gods known as the Trimurti.

"He's been doing well with his training. Those dummies barely have any time to land a blow." Brahma remarked.

"As obnoxious as he is, you can't say Indra's training methods don't yield any results." Shiva admitted.

Right as the boy was about to attack again, the spear started glowing, getting everyone's attention. Vishnu whistled with his fingers, getting all of the dummies to halt their movement for a moment.

"It looks like the True Longinus is responding to something, but what?" Vishnu questioned.

Looking at his partner, the boy held the spear's tip closer.

"Is he right? If he is, what did you notice?" The boy asked, feeling a bit curious himself about what his partner was sensing.

 **«"Honest answer? I'm not sure of the specifics themselves, but... it feels like the Earth has sensed winds of change just now. The meaning behind this peaks my curiosity."»**  Someone inside the spear replied.

All of the Trimurti showed curiosity towards this reveal, wondering what it hinted towards.

* * *

**That's a wrap for our new first chapter! If anyone here is a new reader, a lot of the stuff mentioned in this chapter might feel like a huge bomb of reveals, but a lot of the new ideas for this version of the story come from the revisions that some may have not read and reveals that never got to be shown in the original version. With how different this version is, they're only as important as Rias being a Devil is.**

**One change I do like is this time, I've made it clear from the start that the Christian, Shinto, and Hindu Pantheons are the most important mythologies in the story. How the latter two fit into this is what will stay a mystery for now, but at the very least, we got a cameo from their main gods and even Cao Cao himself! If you're new and wonder why Izanami's here, be patient for a little longer.**

**For the appearance of a few characters who are important? First is Eve and Lilith, who are both based on Mio Takamiya from Date A Live, specifically her V17 image and beach hairstyle respectively. Then we have our protagonist Vali herself, who resembles Ingvild as she looks from her angle on the cover of Shin DxD V2, slightly mixed with a few hair strands on Mio Takamiya from Date A Live, notably the one strand that goes between her eyes.**

**I think you all know what my big surprise ended up being for the LOHD veterans, God and Lucifer aren't dead in this version. How they survived is heavily tied to the rebooted story. Hope my explanation for how Vali is still a Human/Devil hybrid despite Lucifer and Lilith being her parents works, though I think it does when you consider the one event that happened with Kelsey in the original.**

**Anyways, these first few chapters will be focusing more on Issei and Vali's childhood together, something that wasn't shown much despite I was clear in showing the bond they shared. There are a few new influences in Irina and Homura, so adding them into the equation is another interesting change of pace, especially since Issei is already aware that Irina is a girl with a tomboyish appearance.**

**Until next time everyone, and stay awesome! ^^**


	2. Chapter 2

**Welcome to Chapter 2 everyone! Glad to see that the reboot's first hyped everyone like it did, that makes me confident in where I'm going so far. Now I'm going to follow that up with the only major change to the original I'll be mentioning while in the early stages. Unlike before, this story will be focusing mostly on the past of Issei and Vali that I never really brought up in the original.**

**Canon shows the pasts of Rias' peerage fairly early, which I felt was smart due to them being part of the main cast. However, as Vali was the protagonist, that meant I should have also done this for the members of her peerage... which I didn't really do.**

**As a result, most of the first story in the rebooted trilogy will focus on the past and the relationship Vali and Issei will form with the former's eventual peerage. Most of all, I can promise you'll see our main duo high school age before the sequel happens, I just won't say when that is to leave you all some excitement.**

**Only thing left for me to say before we begin? While no one asked, a few of you may wonder why I referred to the Angels representing the Heavenly Virtues as the "Shinou", so let me take care of that before we start things off. It means "God King" officially, but since the leaders of the Devils are the Maou, it felt right to use the opposite term on the virtues. There is another reason, but that's a spoiler.**

**Now with that said, let's get this second chapter started!**

* * *

**()**  - Albion Talking via the Divine Dividing

 **[]**  - Ddraig Talking via the Boosted Gear

 **«»**  - Consciousness of any other Sacred Gear Talking

 **〖〗**  - Voice Speaking through a Magic Circle

 **【】**  - Voice made by an Announcement or through an Announcer

 **「」**  - Insert Song Beginning or Ending

『』 - Electrical Voice or Machine Speaking

* * *

**_Chapter 2 - Virtues of Sin_ **

Within the Seventh Heaven, the throne of Elohim was absent as a table had risen from the center of the room. Currently, there were eight out of nine tables that were occupied, leaving only one more person to arrive.

Elohim and Metatron were seen in two of the seats, while the rest of the Shinou were seated in the others that were all lined up from the Biblical God's left side.

"Someone please tell me she's just running late?" He asked, tapping his finger on the table.

"I'm here!"

The female voice caught everyone's attention as they saw a butterfly with green wings and an iridescent body fly in, which quickly transformed into a familiar green-haired woman. She sat herself down, making her husband sigh in relief.

"Honestly Shekhinah, you need to start managing your time better. Having the role of Mother Nature doesn't give you any liberties, just like my position doesn't." He remarked, shaking his head.

Shekhinah gave an embarrassed laugh, rubbing the back of her head in apology.

"Right, I'll work on that. Anyways... now that I am here, what's the subject, because it's gotta be important if you had Metatron gather most of us here." She replied, quickly dropping the obvious question everyone was asking.

"Of course. As per usual, Metatron has been continuing her role of watching the system for the Longinus and confirmed another has activated." Elohim began.

"Uh... not to seem odd, but that doesn't seem like much by itself. Unless it's the who that's a bigger thing than the what?" Sariel remarked.

The Shinou representing the Virtue of Chastity was shown to have her eyes closed, which she either rarely or never opened based on what her represented virtue was. She had short white hair that curled at the end, and like most supernatural beings, she had a generous bust hidden under her robes.

"You're right... the one that was confirmed to have it was Eve's son." He confirmed.

Shekhinah and the Shinou all gasped at that revelation, knowing how that meant something after the revelation of Lucifer's only child having a Longinus no less.

"Tell us Father, is the Longinus in question the Boosted Gear? If it is..." Michael asked.

Michael was a man with long blonde hair and eyes stuck in a tareme shape, which represented how he was the Shinou who represented the Virtue of Humility.

"You are correct Michael; the Boosted Gear was the Longinus in question. Even more than that? It seems when he activated it, the catalyst was none other than protecting Lucifer's daughter." Metatron confirmed, answering on Elohim's behalf.

"Then... you're saying the children of the first Human woman and her predecessor have the Sacred Gears of the Heavenly Dragons and met each other firsthand?" Sandalphon asked, covering her mouth in surprise.

Fitting the Shinou of Patience, her brown hair was fairly long and nearly curled to represent the great care she took in maintaining it.

"How should we proceed with this? They may have forgiven our actions, but do we have the right to involve ourselves in this matter?" Uriel questioned, clasping his hands together.

Uriel was the Virtue of Temperance, so he knew well they had to be careful not to immediately indulge in one idea. His nickname as  _Flame of God_  and his fiery pink hair were further proof of how he kept himself contained.

"This is quite the complicated decision. Should we act or not, and will that be wise or foolish?" Raphael wondered, rubbing his chin.

Feeling the beard of his shaggy orange-haired, the Shinou representing Charity was wondering what act had was truly selfless with such an unknown result from either choice.

"Since we don't know, how about I read the winds of nature for its advice?" Shekhinah offered.

"We don't have any better ideas, so we'll go with that if you believe it will benefit us." Elohim replied, having plenty reason to trust his wife's judgment.

Holding out a leaf, Shekhinah closed her eyes as she let the winds speak to her through it... soon widening her eyes, but in a good way.

"That look... are you saying this is good news Mother?" Gabriel asked, looking hopeful.

Gabriel was the Shinou who represented Kindness, proven by the sweet nature of her words and voice. Her beauty itself represented her gentle heart through her long blonde hair and incredible bosom in comparison to the other three women among the Shinou, and the only ones that exceed Shekhinah's breasts in size.

"Yes, it is. The winds tell me a chaotic storm is coming... however, as this chaos blows by, there will be a new harmony that will ready itself for it. This must be the children of Humanity's would have been mothers." She replied, smiling as she did.

"Then... that belief of a new hope for our world you mentioned? Has your faith finally been rewarded?" Metatron questioned.

"I believe it has Metatron, so I think we best leave them. All flowers must bloom on their own time. We shouldn't guide them when we're not meant to, but we can at least let Lucifer know of the path his daughter may be walking alongside Eve's son." Shekhinah answered.

Elohim nodded his head.

"Then I'll send him word, let the rest of us who couldn't gather be aware in case any Angel should notice anything important in the coming years." Elohim concluded.

With that, the Shinou stood up before all nine went back to their respective tasks in Heaven, with Elohim's throne returning as he sat on it. Shekhinah briefly glanced at him, noticing a sense of relief he hadn't possessed in ages.

'Honey, it is my wish that soon, your burden is removed instead of merely lessened.' She smiled.

* * *

Back on Earth the day after encountering Viser, the sight of Irina looking in a mirror was seen as she puffed her cheeks, shaking a bit as if she was trying to use the bathroom. Touji walked by and gave an odd look at his child.

"Irina, what are you doing over there?" He asked.

"Trying to get my wings out. If you and mommy are Angels, then I should be one too, right?" Irina answered.

Hearing that, the Brave Saint chuckled a bit.

"While that is true, right now all you'd accomplish with that is leading yourself to a change of shorts." He explained.

Irina blushed and immediately stopped, covering her butt with her hands as if to be safe.

"Let me help you here. Just gotta put my hand here, pretend you're stretching arms that are on you back when I push in, then I motion like this and..." He mumbled to himself.

He pressed in, making Irina gasp as twelve white wings resembling a dove's left her back. Looking at them in the mirror, she held them close as she felt awe from seeing them on her back.

She always liked the Angels in the stories she heard, but now? Irina herself knew she  _was_  one.

"I did it, I did it! My wings are here!" She cheered, bouncing around.

"Twelve wings, just like your mother. Makes sense you inherit the number from her instead of me." Touji smiled, feeling a bit of parental pride.

Irina blinked, looking at her dad.

"Why, how many do you have?" She asked, not getting it.

Touji lowered his head, soon showing a whopping total of... two. Seeing that, Irina went silent, knowing it was probably best she didn't say anything and hurt his feelings even more than simply showing them had done.

"Can't blame myself. Even though I was blessed to win your mother's love, I am still only the 2 of Michael's deck." He mentioned.

Irina blinked in confusion.

"Part of the same thing your mom and I will tell you when you're older." Touji explained.

"Why can't I know it now?" She asked.

"It's... complicated for someone your age." He answered.

Irina tilted her head, but gave in to that answer for now.

Right as he did, a bright light caught her and Touji's attention, soon showing the form of Gabriel descending into the house under her human appearance. Seeing her mom back, Irina smiled before rushing at her.

"Mommy!" She cheered.

"Aw, how's my little Angel doing?" Gabriel smiled, lifting her up as she giggled at the irony of how literal that reply had become.

Irina nuzzled her cheek against her mom's, making them both blush.

"She's pretty excited to know she's been an Angel all along." Touji remarked, walking to his wife's side.

He kissed her cheek, making her giggle.

"If you're trying to avoid that lecture by buttering me up... it's. Not. Happening." She replied, poking his forehead with her last three words.

Touji deflated as he let out a sigh, with Irina soon giving her own giggle.

"Still, you weren't supposed to be home for a few days. What made you come back early?" He asked.

"Because of the incident that happened here the other day, Father wanted to give Lucifer a small message over what we talked about. Since I already live here, he decided it was best for me to give it to him." Gabriel explained.

"Yeah, that makes sense. It is Metatron's job to watch over the Sacred Gear aspects of his system." Touji replied.

Irina blinked a bit, trying to figure out the name of Shekhinah, which was the only one among terms from the bible she was completely unfamiliar with in any form.

"Don't worry sweetie, now that you know what you are? Mommy's going to make sure your education about Heaven is all in your head." Gabriel promised.

"Uh... dear, that means the opposite of what you were trying to imply." Touji mentioned.

Gabriel giggled before winking at her husband, making him blink in surprise.

'Did she just sneak a joke towards me with that reply?' He thought, not noticing his girls were giggling at him.

* * *

Homura was seen moving around everywhere in the Lucifer house, noticing all the stuff belonging to the King and Queen of the Devil race. Seeing the young girl jumping around, the Maou of Pride laughed a bit.

"Issei, your sister is a little hyper, isn't she?" He mentioned.

"Yeah, mom says while I take more after her, our dad's muscles transferred to her as a lot of... uh, some kind of word meaning you can move?" Issei answered, forgetting the word was  _stamina_.

*"THUMP!"*

Everyone looked to see a few boxes fell on Homura's body, leaving her dazed with spiral eyes.

"Not sure if that was karma or bad luck." Lilith chuckled.

Helping the young girl up, Lilith saw what was in one of the boxes and then smiled as she saw it. Getting an interest, Lucifer and Vali got closer, with the former smiling as he realized why his wife had done the same.

It was a photo of their wedding, back before they had become Devils, along with seven others they knew well.

"Time has really gone by since that wonderful day. Even now, you still look as lovely as you did when you were wearing your wedding dress." He remarked.

"Stop it Lucifer, there are kids in the house!" Lilith giggled, blushing heavily.

Vali never understood this tone in their voices, but it always gave her an uncomfortable feeling. One that was enough she moved back towards Issei without any hesitation.

"Your parents sound weird right now." Issei remarked.

"I think it's a married couple thing, because one time they told me not to open the door. I only listened because something made me nervous about staying there." Vali admitted, shivering a bit.

Both her parents briefly flinched at that, making Lilith cough a little.

'I really hope she doesn't ask about that kind of stuff until she's at least 8 years old!' She thought, her left eye twitching a little.

Scratching his head a bit, Issei looked at the two Maou before him.

"Not sure if this sounds weird Mr. and Mrs. Lucifer, but..." Issei wondered.

"Just call us by our names, not a big fan of that formal title junk." Lucifer briefly interjected, showing slight annoyance at it.

"R-right... Lucifer and Lilith, why did you wait so long before you had Vali? It sounds like you wanted to be parents for a while based on what my mom said." He asked.

Lilith giggled a bit at that.

"Eve isn't wrong, but you try finding the right time to have a kid when your kind was in a period where the Angels were direct enemies of us and the aftermath when that changed. By all means, it wasn't until 5 years ago we had any free time to have our little princess." She explained.

Vali blushed at that, covering her face in embarrassment.

"Although that's probably not as embarrassing as what happened to Samael when he tried tricking your mother in the Garden of Eden." Lucifer snickered.

"Didn't my mom not want to tell that story?" Issei mentioned, recalling her dodging the subject.

"She didn't want to tell it, so it isn't as much of a problem if we tell you while she isn't around." The Devil King reassured him.

He soon crossed his arms as he recalled the story.

* * *

_Eve was seen humming as she was seen frolicking through the Garden of Eden, soon coming to a stop as her stomach rumbled a bit._

_"Looks like it's time for some food, but which tree should I pick from?" She wondered._

_As she looked around, one particular tree showed the sight of a serpent with hands and feet crawling into sight, giving a quiet hiss as he saw the chance before him._

_"Yo, over here Eve." He hissed again._

_"Hmm?" She blinked, turning around._

_Looking in the Tree of Knowledge, she saw the snake known as Samael, who Elohim made as its guardian... though was just as unaware of his true nature._

_"Samael, what is it?" Eve asked._

_"Elohim's lying to you, eating the fruit of this tree won't bring you death. If anything, it will make you smarter, so how about it?" Samael lied, picking one of the fruits off._

_Handing it to her, the naive and submissive Eve blinked before immediately taking it._

_"OK!" She agreed, completely falling for it._

_The sinister serpent smiled as he saw Eve about to take that one bite, until..._

_"Eve!" Adam called out, walking nearby._

_"Hi sweetie, what's up?" Eve asked._

_"Thought I'd get some food, so I'm just browsing through the trees. Although..." He answered._

_Not realizing which fruit Eve had, he eyed how big, plump, ripe, and juicy the one she had was._

_"You gonna eat that?" Adam asked._

_"Here, you can have it." Eve offered, handing it to him._

_Samael rolled his eyes at that._

_"Oh wait, where did I get that fruit again?" She wondered, scratching her head._

_Looking around, she soon found a tree she thought was the Tree of Knowledge... only it was the Tree of Life, making Samael's jaw drop open in shock._

_'I know God made her to be naive and submissive, but I had no idea that he also made her stupid!' He thought._

_Eve sneezed as that thought went by, confusing her as she grabbed one of the Tree of Life's fruits and took a bite of it, making her body glow without her notice. At the same time, Adam ate the Fruit of Knowledge and felt something flow through his head._

* * *

Lilith giggled as her husband finished the story.

"My mom doesn't seem that air headed, especially since our dad usually listens to her. You sure that story was about her?" Homura asked, no longer dazed.

"It is, Elohim took pity on her when he made her leave Eden and made her smarter." Lilith explained.

"He may have been an idiot who thought he was perfect and unable to make any mistakes back then, but he wasn't heartless... at least in the intentional sense." Lucifer verified, nodding his head.

Vali chuckled a little, soon looking at her mother.

"So, what happened to Adam after he ate the Fruit of Knowledge?" She asked, now curious about it.

"Remember how I told you me and your father met? Just like I came to realize I didn't want to be with Adam, he realized Cassiel was the woman he really loved. The main difference was that Elohim made so well, I already had the knowledge contained within the fruit." Lilith explained.

"Oh, so mom doesn't like talking about this because..." Homura realized, looking a bit sad at the thought.

Lilith nodded her head.

"Eve genuinely did love Adam, so for him to reject her after that... I sometimes wonder if the reason Elohim had her leave wasn't because the situation even happened, but because he felt the pain of the heartbreak may have been too much for her to ever fall in love again." She confirmed, looking a bit sad.

Issei sniffled a bit, with Vali whimpering a bit.

"Give me a minute, I need some fresh air!" He excused himself, heading outside.

"Me too!" Vali agreed, following him.

"Uh... the next thing you say after that, bye!" Homura immediately replied, quickly following them.

After Lucifer saw them leave, he pulled Lilith into a bridal carry.

"There aren't any kids in the house now, so are you ready to have a little fun?" He asked, giving his wife a flirty look in response.

"Do you have to ask?" She giggled.

Lucifer carried her into their room before a locking sound was heard from the closing door.

* * *

Outside in Vali's front yard, she and Issei had dried up their tears... though the younger and more sensitive Homura was still shedding them like waterfalls.

"Is your sister alright?" Vali asked.

"Yeah, think that's just her 4-year old mentality effecting her... or is it the mentality of a human girl?" Issei answered.

Taking a deep breath, he looked at the daughter of Lucifer.

"Hey Vali? This whole thing about Sacred Gears or whatever you call them... what do you know about it?" He asked, looking at his right hand.

Vali blinked a few times, then rubbed her head a bit.

"I kind of know a bit. From what I've been studying, they were special treasures Elohim gave Humanity due to some kind of event my parents were a part of. When that event ended... 18 of them changed into something more. I think my parents called them Longinus, after some saint." She explained.

"Hmm... oh wait, think Irina mentioned this before. He was the one that killed Jesus for Humanity's sake." Issei recalled.

"That actually makes sense, because these 18 Longinus as they were named are said to be strong enough that they could guarantee the people they chose to wield them had the strength to challenge even Gods and/or Dragons. The main balance was only they bonded to could wield them." Vali continued.

Issei blinked, so the Devil Princess motioned to where her chest.

"Oh, you mean it's like a part of your heart? My dad always says that's something you can't lose." He asked.

"Yeah, and if you lose it... bad things happen." She confirmed.

"So, that means both of us have this power. I wonder how many others are like us?" Issei wondered.

Vali immediately gained a sad look after that.

"There's... one other that I know about." She said, her voice nearly cracking.

Noticing the weird sounds in her voice, Issei looked at Vali, causing him to see her eyes struggling not to cry as a few tears began to well up. The sight immediately made him gasp a bit.

"What's wrong?" He asked worriedly.

She wiped her eyes with her arm, sniffling a bit as she kept them covered and briefly turned away from Issei.

"I'm sorry, but I... don't want to talk about it." She replied quietly.

"Oh, my apologies... I guess we haven't been friends long enough for me to know something that personal." He apologized, looking a bit guilty.

Taking a moment to calm down with a deep breath, she looked at Issei.

"At the very least, I can tell you about the Longinus themselves." Vali replied, shifting into a seiza position.

"I'm listening." Issei replied, doing the same.

Clearing her throat, the daughter of Lucifer began.

"The Longinus in general are all equally strong, but each of them functions in a different way. Some are more like weapons and others more magical, then some are straightforward in one area while others are versatile, but they all have a myriad of powers where most Sacred Gears just have a single ability. Another thing each of them has in common? There's the consciousness and soul of a powerful being sealed within." Vali explained.

"So, that means the 18 that transformed all had some kind of conditions that allowed them to become these Longinus?" Issei questioned.

"I think so, as we have Sacred Gears that are considered Pseudo-Longinus, only not being the real deal because they're multiples that only have that power when they're gathered together. There's also rumors that the Fallen Angels can make artificial ones, though at the cost of lacking a normal Sacred Gear's ultimate ability." Vali confirmed.

Issei tilted his head, making Vali shrug in response.

"That's something I don't know about myself, my dad said he'll only tell me when I can use my Sacred Gear's abilities." She apologized.

"OK, keep going." He replied.

Vali retraced her thoughts and resumed the explanation from where she had been.

"Admittedly, I don't really know most of the other Longinus by name, though I do know there's a specific group of them. We call them the Holy Relics, as they were all originally items tied to Jesus before his death. For the ones I know, those are ours and one called the Nereid Kyrie." Vali stated.

"Never... Kari..." He tried and failed to pronounce.

"I think it's a Greek name, so don't feel bad if you can't say it." Vali chuckled, rubbing her cheek with her finger.

Issei chuckled a bit.

"Guess that's all the questions I have if that's the most you can tell me. How about you show me your wings?" He asked, getting closer to the Devil Princess.

"Uh... OK?" Vali blinked, not getting it.

She turned around before unfolding her wings, causing Issei to notice something particular about them. Only the topmost pair were considered big, while the other five pairs were a tenth of their size, getting noticeably smaller the lower they went.

The Lucifer Heiress felt a bit awkward as he looked closer, noticing this very fact before he moved near her side.

"Is there a reason most of your wings are small?" He asked.

"Oh, that's what you were curious about? It's because the ones at top are the only ones I can fly with. The other ten are just a symbol of my heritage. This is a quirk shared by all four races that make up the Christian Pantheon." Vali clarified.

"Ah, they're basically your proof of royalty?" Issei guessed.

"That's... actually exactly right. I am the Princess of Hell due to who my parents are." She verified, blushing a bit.

Following that, both of them gave a light giggle.

"You know, maybe while we're on topics like this, I should tell you about what Humanity used to be like compared to now." Vali mentioned, starting to get excited.

"There's a difference? Tell me!" Issei replied.

Homura looked at her brother and Vali, smiling as she noticed her brother's expression.

While he was never unhappy, ever since he met Vali, his smile had only gotten brighter.

* * *

The scene changed to a vast land with a red sky and not a single ocean anywhere, leaving the only source of water as lakes that a mere 10% of this strange place that was 90% solid ground. It was the home of the Devil race, the land of Hell.

At the moment, many were seen gathered as they wore black outfits as they stood before a few coffins being lowered into a grave site. Standing before everyone, the sight of a man with red and blue hair, with heterochromic eyes of the same color could be seen. This man was Mephisto Pheles, a powerful Devil with strength near equal to the Maou.

"We're all gathered here today to honor those who fell in the recent incident occurred in the Bael Clan territory. May all of their souls' rest in peace as Hades guides them to their proper place of resting. Most of all... we must respect the brief wounds left on the Leviathan Clan, one that was only prevented from becoming a scar due to the ultimate sacrifices that were made by Lord Bael and Lord Gremory to save their one Heiress from a death that would have come too soon." He stated, his eyes closed out of respect.

Standing in a certain area of the crowd, the sight of a young girl with red hair reaching her back was seen crying as she stood by her mother, a Devil with long brown hair that reached her shoulders.

"Papa..." She sniffled, rubbing away her tears with her hand as they kept falling.

'To think this could happen at your age, I'm so sorry Rias.' Venelana apologized.

As the crowds settled away, the sight of Rias and her mother leaving could be seen, eventually running into what looked to be an older version of Rias if she were a man.

"Mother, has the ceremony already ended?" He asked.

"It has Sirzechs, I'm sorry you weren't able to attend, but I understand the job Lucifer left you was an important one." Venelana answered.

He lowered his head a bit, closing his eyes.

"No one can ever expect things like this to happen, so much that it pains me my unborn child will never get to know the great man that his grandfather was." Sirzechs lamented.

He looked at his younger sister shortly after. Rias had failed to stop her crying, which had only become quieter since then.

"Mother, you should know that the Elders have discussed over what happened and come to a decision. With the death of Lord Bael and Misla only being a member of the Clan through marriage... Zekram has decided it would be best for you to be the Clan's new Head and Rias the new Heir." Sirzechs mentioned.

"I understand, but... are you sure this is the only way?" She asked.

"While they did consider the idea of having Sairaorg's title as Heir reinstated, we confirmed there were a few casualties in the Vapula Clan as well, including their own Heir's demise. Since he's at least shown signs of having the power from his mother's side, they've decided its best he takes that role, but his mother and him will need help due to his lack of sacred darkness." He explained.

Understanding the situation better, she nodded her head in agreement.

"Alright, if that's what they decided was best... I guess no easy decisions were made due to what happened." Venelana replied.

"None at all, especially for Lord Lucifer and Lady Leviathan... I can only imagine how his daughter felt when she saw that horrible sight, not to mention how distraught this has left her. It's no wonder he and Lady Lilith felt she needed to spend time away from Hell." He agreed.

As they stood there, the scene faded away to reveal a hospital in the Sitri Clan's territory. Inside the room, a young girl with long purple hair that looked to be the same age as Homura was lying on the bed with a breathing mask, completely comatose.

_"Lord Lucifer... I hope you find a solution, because we may need the White Dragon's strength for what may be coming next." Sirzechs' voice echoed._

* * *

Issei and Homura were listening close as Vali explained Humanity's role in the supernatural more.

"After the conflict ended, Humanity was completely wiped out for a period of time... or had their numbers decreased to the point they were almost wiped out, as my parents refuse to give me a clear answer whenever I try asking them. Either way, Jesus' sacrifice was made to give them that second chance. Because of what happened, the world of the supernatural decided it was better to keep the restored Humanity unaware of the truth, leaving them without the blessings they once had." She finished.

"Amazing, I can't believe this all happened... but wait, these Sacred Gear things still exist within normal Humans, don't they?" Homura asked, looking at her brother.

Vali nodded her head.

"Yeah, because while Humanity as no idea about the supernatural being real as a whole? There are some small groups of Humans that do know about us like Magicians and such. These few are the ones we usually bring back into our world for their safety." She explained.

Right after that, she got closer to the two siblings.

"The best part of it? Any Human that taps into one of the supernatural world's primordial powers once they relearn of them gains eternal youth, making them unable to dye of old age." She smiled.

The Hyoudou siblings both gasped at that, with Homura grabbing Vali's hands to the latter's surprise.

"Please teach me how to use magic or whatever I have to learn for that!" She begged.

"Eh... wow, you're enthusiastic." She remarked, chuckling nervously.

Issei looked at his right hand again, remembering the gauntlet that he used against Viser the night before. With that thought in his mind...

"Me too, if I have a power like this, it's better that I learn how to use safely." He decided, smiling with confidence.

Vali looked at him, soon making a serious face.

"If you are considering that... let me warn you about this now. My dad knows someone who could remove your Longinus and let you live a normal life without a risk, asking for him to remove it wouldn't be too hard for him to do. You could keep living as a normal human. Be sure of your decision, because once you walk into the supernatural world? You can never leave it, leaving it a choice you can never take back, so do you still want to walk down this path?" She questioned.

Both of the Hyoudou siblings looked at her, a bit scared by her words.

She knew very well how terrifying her words might sound, her mother told her the same thing without the choice aspect due to her heritage, but... these two were now her friends. If they had any doubts, she wanted them to listen to them instead of thinking it was all sunshine and rainbows.

"Uh..." Homura mumbled, now feeling a bit of doubt.

"I'm not changing my mind." Issei decided, showing no hesitation in his heart.

Vali and Homura looked at him in surprise.

"I can't explain it, but... part of me feels that you and I meeting wasn't just some coincidence. I think that... no, something in me feels that I need to be here, so even if what you said scares me? If that feeling is right, then I'm not running away." He said, smiling at the end.

Vali felt her face blush a bit, even if she was too young to understand why. Though she soon smiled herself as she looked at Issei with shining eyes.

"Me too, I wanna be like my brother and be proud of my choice! No turning back now!" Homura decided.

"Looks like you two are sure of yourselves, the same as I am with my own wish. If that's the case... who am I to stop you?" Vali replied, accepting their decisions.

Homura looked confused at that.

"Your... wish? Like you want to ask a shooting star something?" She naively asked.

Vali giggled and shook her head.

"Not that exactly, but I guess it wouldn't be wrong to say that I want to create such a star for everyone to see. I want more than anything... to finally break down the walls that formed 2000 years and build a bridge between the supernatural and Humanity, creating a new paradise for everyone." She revealed.

Issei stared at her, feeling amazed.

'She already knows what she wants to do? Wow, I... I don't have that kind of answer for myself. Is that why there's something about her that makes me want to help her?' He wondered, unsure of the strange warmth he felt inside of him.

"That actually sounds really nice, especially since in a way... you've kind of already started that through us becoming your friends, right?" Issei remarked.

Vali blinked a bit, soon giving a playful laugh as she realized he was technically right.

It was that that moment the winds that Shekhinah read truly began to blow towards the one direction she believed in. Though this was only the first stage in a long road towards the future the daughter of Lucifer hoped she could create.

* * *

Lucifer looked at the message Elohim passed to him through Gabriel, closing his eyes as he crossed twirled some of his hair.

"Just like I thought, their meeting wasn't random." He stated.

"What do you think about this? This alone is something, but it may not be long before..." She asked.

The Devil King shrugged his hands.

"Something let the two of them meet and learn of the powers they have within them. I don't know what it is, but trying to think too hard about it won't do us any good, especially when you remember what started the Great War." He answered.

Gabriel briefly went silent at that, making Lucifer's eyes widen upon realizing what he had accidentally let slip out.

"I'm sorry, that was kind of rude of me..." The Devil King apologized.

"No, don't be. Me and the other Shinou were just as responsible for not keeping Father in check and saying those fateful words that made you declare war." Gabriel replied, shaking her head.

Lucifer just sighed in reply, feeling less impact from Gabriel's words due to her being the Virtue of Kindness.

"She's right you know." Lilith replied.

Both of them turned as they saw Lilith walk into the room, carrying a few towels in her hand.

"You know how the world was like back then before the Maou finally stood up. You were the Virtue of Justice, doing what was right. Yes... bad came from the good, but good also came from the bad, so forget what could have been. That past is the past, and just like our daughter, we need to look on what will be, as we can make this world great again. Something like this just proves that even more." She reminded them.

Both of them paused before smiling and chuckling a bit.

"I guess you're right. Look how happy we are now, raising our wonderful children with high hopes instead of fearing we've ruined everything for them due to our pasts. That should prove we didn't truly fail." Gabriel praised.

"Exactly." The Devil Queen confirmed, winking in response.

Lucifer looked outside, seeing his daughter with Issei and Homura as he focused the bright look she possessed.

"The Divine Dividing in the hands of someone born in the supernatural, while the Boosted Gear appears when she meets a normal human boy who would have otherwise stayed oblivious like most of Humanity... perhaps this friendship has made the bridge that will lead to my daughter's greatest wish." He remarked.

Gabriel showed some surprise at that.

'Mother... is this what you meant? Is it more than the Longinus each of them wield, but something deeper within these two that matters?' She thought.

Gabriel may not have the answers, but... she still smiled as she wondered what potential the two possessed.

"Now, why don't we go join the kids outside?" Lilith suggested.

"Hey, are you calling me old or something? I'm as young as the other men in this neighborhood." Lucifer joked, chuckling a bit.

Lilith soon joined him at that.

"You two were definitely meant for each other." Gabriel giggled, smiling at them.

The three soon walked outside, where they noticed everyone trying to make orbs of light under Vali's guidance.

"Hmm?" Lucifer blinked, looking closely.

"I honestly don't know enough to fully teach you how to use any actual energy for whichever one you get, but this will at least be the first step you need." She explained.

Watching at the three, Issei looked like he had a stomach cramp with how he concentrated, whereas Irina just sweated a little.

"Look, I did it!"

Both of them looked to see Homura holding an orb that wasn't too big, though it wasn't exactly small either.

"Great job Homura, looks like all that excess energy worked well in this case." Vali praised.

'My little sister did it before me, how embarrassing!' Issei thought, looking away.

Right at that moment, Eve walked outside as she noticed her daughter's orb of light in her hand. The sight made her give a silent gasp, right as Homura noticed her.

"Mama, look! I made this myself!" Homura exclaimed, holding it up.

Eve smiled at the sight of her daughter's happy face, which was quickly followed by her jumping around.

"I did-"

Suddenly, her footing went off for her left foot and she fell to the ground, landing on the light sphere as it harmlessly exploded. Eve gasped while Vali panicked.

"Oh no, Homura!" She exclaimed.

"Don't worry, the ground's soft and that light orb can't hurt anyone. The burst isn't unlike a prism making a light burst into a rainbow of colors without the rainbow part." Lilith reassured her, holding her hand out to stop her.

"But..." Vali replied, looking at her.

Lilith walked by Homura and kneeled by her, holding a hand out.

"You're alright, so do you best to stand up. OK?" She smiled.

Homura lifted her head up, and showed her eyes were full of tears. It didn't take long before she began crying a bit.

"Stop it Lilith, she's still too young for this." Eve interjected, running over.

The Devil Queen watched as Eve picked her daughter up, brushing her off.

"Don't worry Homura, you just got a little too excited moving around and it made you trip. Mommy's not angry and you're not at fault." Eve reassured her, nuzzling her cheek.

"O-OK..." She replied, sniffling a bit.

Lilith sighed a bit before smirking and looking at her unofficial sister.

"Should have known you raise your kids so softly. You just love spoiling them, don't you?" The Mother of all Devils remarked.

"Says the Devil Queen that tried to be firm about making a crying 4-year old stand up." Eve responded in a playful manner.

The Devil King chuckled at that.

"I had a feeling those two would have opposing stances of being a mom." He smiled.

Hearing that, the other three children looked at her.

"Remember how Eve was made to an exact copy of Lilith with more beauty than brains? That's mainly because Lilith had made Adam's realization just by being born, which is why I think that thing about men being stronger and woman wiser came to be." Lucifer explained.

"Oh... hey wait, if Eve was made to be a more beautiful Lilith, then why do they have opposite hair colors?" Irina wondered, looking confused.

"Easy, because Lilith wasn't always a natural black. She used to have the same white hair until a while before we and the other Maou became the first of the Devils." Lucifer clarified.

As usual, the young children had no idea, with only his daughter having any bit of idea due to it being a bed time story they often told her.

"Yeah, should have figured. Perhaps maybe giving you all a hint to why the Devils and Angels aren't fighting each other in the present day will help you understand." Lucifer decided, looking towards Lilith.

"Let me guess, me and Eve should prepare a few snacks?" She guessed.

"Bingo, time for them to know what it means for the world to be a balance. I'm sure they're at least able to understand that as young children." Lucifer confirmed.

Issei nodded his head.

"Mom says that's related to what makes food taste good or yucky." He confirmed.

"Yep, this story is one you'll definitely get." The Devil King chuckled.

* * *

Eve and Lilith both brought some trays of food into the former's living room, quickly making the kids snatch up what was on it. Lucifer himself downed a whole latte before putting it down, shaking his head as the adrenaline from the caffeine kicked in.

"Alright, you kids listening?" The Devil King inquired.

With the exception of his daughter that already knew the story, they all nodded their heads. That was Lucifer's cue to begin.

"Back when Humanity was in its beginning stages, Elohim got two sources of energy known as  _Anima_  and  _Animus_ , which represented the female and male genders respectively. Putting them into special clay, the young Adam and Lilith were born. Back then, I was the first Angel ever created by him, being the one who represented the Virtue of Justice." He started.

"That meant you found things that were wrong and fixed them, right?" Irina guessed.

Lucifer nodded his head.

"Yeah, but like the other Great Seraphs as the top Angels were once called, I also watched over the two as they grew up. Lilith and I were always the closest of the Seraph interacting with her... and it wasn't long before I started to feel something after she grew from a child into a beautiful young woman." He continued, blushing a bit.

Lilith covered her face as she blushed, though everyone clearly saw the smile she didn't hide under her hands.

"But due to our roles, I didn't think could happen between us, even wondering how genuine my feelings were. Then came the day Elohim announced they were to be married... only for her to say she couldn't, as she loved someone else. That was when everything changed, because Elohim was so furious, he imprisoned her into an earthly cage, making my senses recognize it as something gravely wrong." Lucifer said, closing his eyes slightly.

"Are you saying... Elohim didn't agree with that?" Issei guessed, feeling nervous.

"That's exactly it. He had done so much and succeeded in many things that by this point, he and the Angels truly believed he couldn't make any mistakes, leading him to the logic of Lilith being the one in the wrong. I had relented to certain decisions before, like when he shot down names I suggested for his creations, but this time... I knew he had finally crossed a line." He confirmed, closing his eyes as his fists shake.

"I expected to be there forever, but Lucifer attacked his fellow Angels and then shattered his halo, then rushed down to rescue me. We were nearly caught by three of the normal Seraphs that later joined the Shinou, but we got away because Lucifuge was born via Lucifer's shadow and she helped us escape." Lilith mentioned.

Homura listened closer as she began chewing her food faster like it was a bag of popcorn.

"When we finally got a reprieve... despite she was confused at first, that's when I both confessed and proposed to Lilith, who in turn revealed she had always loved me. For a while, the three of us had to run and hide, but then I met Leviathan, and everything changed. I saw Humanity was suffering because by only following the virtues... they were basically trapped and on the road to self-destruction for not just themselves, but every race." Lucifer revealed, his face fully serious.

"T-that's an exaggeration, right!?" Homura asked, shaking a bit.

Gabriel sweated a bit before whistling, making all of the children realize that Lucifer was  _not_  kidding.

"How could it be that bad?" Issei asked.

"Well... how should I explain this part?" Lucifer wondered, scratching his head for a minute.

"Allow me sweetie." Lilith offered.

She cleared her throat and looked at the kids, who looked back.

"Be honest with me, you've had to have felt selfish at least once, right?" She asked.

It took a few seconds, but the kids soon replied.

"Hmm... yeah, there are times I don't want to share a snack of mine." Issei admitted.

"I don't like anyone touching my favorite blanket." Homura confessed.

"Guilty as charged..." Irina replied, blushing in embarrassment.

Lilith snapped her fingers and then pointed at them, nodding her head.

"Exactly, so what if people in poverty never wanted the things they need? People should be selfless, but you have the right to be selfish on occasion, especially when you love someone due to both sides needing to be happy for it to truly work out. Just like how a shadow needs a light to be cast, while a light can't evade creating a shadow from it." The Devil Queen explained.

It took a moment, but Issei bopped his fist into his hand.

"I think I get it, you're saying that the virtues are like being selfless, but it's bad to only follow virtues?" Issei guessed.

"Exactly Issei, and to give you examples..." Lilith replied.

She looked at Lucifer, who nodded his head as he continued once more.

"When you're angry, does it feel good to just hold it in? It doesn't because that's stressful. Its fine to be patient, but you can't avoid getting angry your whole life either, there's a point you'll need to vent. Back when I saw Humanity only following the virtues, no one could, or maybe even would stand up to admit what's wrong despite many were suffering from a system that basically kept you where you were." Lucifer explained.

Irina smiled and nodded her head.

"Think I get it now, you're saying the sins are fine as long as you don't use them too much." She stated.

"Exactly, that Stray Devil you guys ran into is an example of someone who didn't moderate their desires and let it consume her. That's why they're called the heavenly virtues and the deadly sins, because while showing the sins alone won't kill or hurt you and others, being swallowed by them can make it possible. Likewise, while striving to show the virtues, you shouldn't only show them either." Lilith confirmed.

"Does that mean Elohim eventually realized that having some sins were good and that's why you two aren't fighting?" Homura asked.

Lucifer nodded his head.

"If you want me to be honest? Elohim was right that I had pride, but it was because I knew I was right. He just did so much that he slipped into being ignorant. That's not exactly his fault, but it is why I don't exactly forgive him for back then, even if I can forget about it when it comes to the future of the Devils." He answered.

Right as he said that, Issei looked at Vali.

"What?" She asked.

"I just realized... since we've met, you've never really showed the sign of representing any sin. Do you just not have pride?" He asked.

"Oh no, I definitely have pride like my father. We Devils all have desires and indulge in them a bit more due to who we are, so we all show at least one sin, even if not one of the seven deadly sins. It's just my pride is to my wonderful family, my friends, and what I have in my life. Basically, my pride is simply smaller than my father's." Vali answered.

Lilith giggled, rubbing her daughter's hair.

"Well spoken, how a sin shows on someone is also important. You could potentially never see it because it's not something you can notice unless you ask." She mentioned.

"Yeah, in fact this relates to how I think being pure hearted is truly represented. It isn't to have no sins, but to know the flaws and sins that are a part of you and accept them." Lucifer added.

With that, he released a deep breath.

"And that's how balance represents things with Heaven and Hell's standings, along with why having the sins isn't a bad thing. Eve and Lilith's differing parenting styles even falls under this." The Devil King stated.

With that said, Issei realized something that hadn't been mentioned.

"Hold on, that doesn't explain why my mommy and Lilith are equally pretty when you said my mommy was made to be prettier." He reminded him.

"Oh, forgot about that." Lucifer chuckled, rubbing the back of his head.

"The answer to that is Devil biology is linked to our desires. While your mom was bigger than me when I was Human, becoming a Devil gave my chest the 15 cm it needed to be equal to her." Lilith explained, giggling a bit.

Eve blushed at what the TMI moment the Devil Queen said at the end. Emphasizing that were two metaphorical arrows saying: "Bust Size: 115 cm", with Lilith's having a small note saying "(Formerly 100 cm)" under it.

After that question was finished and pushed aside, Homura raised a hand to ask her own.

"Yes?" Lucifer asked.

"Out of curiosity... what are the heavenly virtues and deadly sins exactly?" Homura asked.

Everyone went silent, at least until Lucifer began to laugh.

* * *

Deep within one of the seven areas of Lucifaad, a young girl around Vali's age with long black hair tied in a ponytail that still had some of it spill out over her shoulder was seen in her bedroom while packing her stuff in a backpack.

"You really want to do this? I'm not gonna stop you, but... is this really how you want to try and help?" Her mother asked, standing by the door.

"I won't be able to do any good here. As I am right now, I'll be more of a harm to the other young Devils with how this whole situation makes me feel." The young Devil answered.

Sighing a bit, her mother smiled.

"Alright then. Only one more question, will you do it alone or do you want me to join you?" Her mother asked.

The girl turned to reveal her golden-yellow eyes.

"Right now, I need to do this on my own. Though I'll send you or dad a message if I need either of you." She answered.

With that, mother and daughter fist bumped each other.

"Alright, good luck out there... Ruihi." Her mother smiled.

* * *

**You heard that last scene right, we've got Ruihi here from the start this time! I'm sure not every veteran may recognize her, but as the original story never got far enough to show everything about her, don't worry too much. At the very best, people who do know about her are just aware of her surname, which doesn't have the same weight it did in the original story.**

**So far, you've probably noticed I've focused mostly on bringing up a bit of lore that most of our younger cast can't understand. This is to set up events connected to Vali and Issei, but to also keep them from asking too many questions. It might just be me, but I feel when you're young, innocence keeps most kids from asking further when they feel too lost to get it and you say they need to be older first.**

**At the same time, we've got a few things building up. Rias has made her debut... through a funeral her own father is part of, while I think you can tell who that one girl in a coma is. Sirzechs himself is the Gremory Head, though I think with Lucifer alive, it was clear he couldn't have his title. That being said, he will still show up on occasion, as he is the student and envoy of Lucifer.**

**Good news is it the time for the story to start moving forward is coming soon. Also, with this chapter complete, its time I announce something... the movie I planned in the original based on the Great War is gonna happen in this reboot as well! There's no planned name for it yet, but it will be released when LOHD progresses far enough that I can unveil all of the mysteries tied to 2000 years ago, which I'm sure will surprise you all.**

**Until next time everyone, and stay awesome! ^^**


	3. Chapter 3

**This is it everyone, we've finally reached the chapter where the story will finally progress beyond our main cast being 5-year old kids who aren't ready to understand every detail about the things they're involved in. I've already set up most of the ground work in the first two chapters, so now it's time for us to go beyond mere hints as we begin this adventure/love story!**

**Many of my veteran readers were pleasantly surprised to see Ruihi this early on, which makes me happy since she's one of my favorite OCs long with Cassiel, another fan favorite for her quirky personality. As most of you know how I set her up in the original, I won't even hide the fact she has a major role in this story, but how much she'll be like her original self is the new mystery of this version.**

**Speaking of which, I should mention the hairstyle of this incarnation of Ruihi resembles that of Chiemi Honda from Ousama Game's anime adaption, and adding onto that? I should probably describe this story's version of Issei since just the color of his hair already shows he doesn't match his canon appearance. For him, his hairstyle is like Shiina's from Gourmet Girl Graffiti.**

**Anyways, a few other things will show up in this chapter before we finally hit that moment, so be prepared to see the new LOHD finally take off as of this chapter. Even more, this is where powers from the previous story may either return or vanish like some characters, so keep an eye out for them. Just know that for the Devils at least, not every ability will have a flashy name for every Clan like in the original story.**

**Now, let the chapter begin!**

* * *

**()**  - Albion Talking via the Divine Dividing

 **[]**  - Ddraig Talking via the Boosted Gear

 **«»**  - Consciousness of any other Sacred Gear Talking

 **〖〗**  - Voice Speaking through a Magic Circle

 **【】**  - Voice made by an Announcement or through an Announcer

 **「」**  - Insert Song Beginning or Ending

『』 - Electrical Voice or Machine Speaking

* * *

**_Chapter 3 - Echoes of Evil_ **

Within the area of the Norse Pantheon, specifically a part of Norway, the sight of a young teen with light silver hair and a crazed expression could be seen wearing a priest uniform could be seen as he swung his sword against across a Golem's body.

The stone creature collapsed across the ground, becoming another pile of rubble like the rest of its group. Once it had, the owner of the blade in question smirked.

"Punish the wicked, the words all holy boys should live by." He laughed.

He slashed down the door before to reveal a room where a man resembling him could be seen, having a slight beard as the main difference between them.

"Well, well! If it isn't the big boss himself!" The teen smirked.

"Freed Sellzen, of course I know of you. What do I owe the pleasure of the Sigurd Institute's resident psycho creation from my DNA?" The man asked.

Laughing at the man now known as Sigurd, the strange blade's holy aura flared out.

"To kill you of course! That'll be real fun, won't it!?" Freed exclaimed, cackling a bit.

"Then you should be dealing with me first." A male voice replied.

Hearing the strange third person in the room, Freed gave a look of confusion while darting around. It wasn't long before from behind the shadows of Sigurd's chair, a boy that somewhat resembled Freed, though with his look being closer to Sigurd himself, walked into his view.

"Hey, who the hell are you!?" Freed demanded.

"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Siegfried Brynhildr, but I prefer to be called Sieg by my friends. I think my name alone should tell you who I am." He answered.

"Ooh, so pops here actually knocked up a bitch! Killing a whole family will be so much better!" Freed exclaimed.

In an instant, the crazed priest boy appeared before the father and son pair, though the son in question brought out a red blade releasing the dark opposite to holy power. yet didn't remove the shine of the few golden spots of the sword.

Their swords parried against each other before Freed vanished again, sneaking behind him... only for Sieg to spin with a second sword in his other hand, this one being blue and silver in color. A huge whirlwind soon pushed the insane swordsman a few feet back.

"Oh! Two Cursed Swords against my Excalibur Rapidly, how interesting!" Freed shouted, rushing ahead again.

Sieg soon smiled before saying something, and Freed suddenly froze as four other auras shot out of Sieg, making him see a whole rainbow of them.

"This is gonna hurt..." Freed realized.

Before he knew it, he was sent flying through the air, screaming as his body spiraled around like a corkscrew.

"Odd, I thought that would have done something else?" Sieg remarked.

"You're right, that kind of durability shouldn't be the case for a normal Human. I didn't sense a Sacred Gear on him either." Sigurd asked, scratching his head in thought.

After flying for a little longer, Freed crashed onto the ground somewhere, his eyes spinning as one of his teeth fell out.

* * *

Somewhere in Eastern Asia, the sight of Ruihi could be seen as she found herself walking through a mountainous area, holding a map of where she needed to go.

"Alright, looks like I'm on the right path so far." She stated.

Deciding to take a small lunch break, she reached into her backpack to grab some of the food she packed, grabbing a sandwich.

*"ROAR!"*

Pausing for a moment, she gave a dry, deadpan stare at what she turned around to look at. It was a hungry Asian Black Bear that wanted the meat and honey she had in her sandwich.

"You want this? Well then, come and get it." Ruihi challenged.

The bear roared again before charging at her, but in only a few seconds after it began its rush...

*"BANG!"*

It was suddenly punched in the stomach, with Ruihi soon pulling its arm into a headlock position and staring at it with fierce eyes, immediately making the powerful look on its face turn into a whimpering one.

"Leave me alone, and I'll get you a real meal. Got it?" She demanded.

The bear weakly nodded its head, hitting the ground with a thud as Ruihi let go of its body. After that was done, she walked off, then the Bear jumped up as it heard a loud sound in the distance.

Before the bear knew it, a bunch of fish flew through the air and landed by its side, making its eyes widen.

"And that's how you fish." Ruihi stated, walking off.

It took her a few days, but eventually, she found herself at the location she was trying to reach and stopped to look at it.

"This is it... no turning back now, I have to get stronger for the sake of everyone we lost that day." She promised herself.

With that reply, she walked into Mount Meru to meet her surrogate grandfather.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in Hell, a certain room of the Serafall Memorial Hospital could be seen as the same comatose girl from before was shown sleeping within. The oxygen mask still attached to her, but a new IV being checked as a Doctor looked at the treatment.

Seeing no signs in how things were changing, he lowered his head in shame before closing his eyes. It lasted only a few seconds before someone opened the door.

"I apologize, but currently are accepting visitors for-" He replied.

"That rule doesn't apply when its me." A female voice answered.

Widening his eyes, he turned around to see a female Devil with hair not unlike the girl currently on the medical bed. It was deep blue at the top, gradually becoming a gradient that transition to light blue then cyan as it neared the bottom, with a ripple effect that made it look like it was solid water. She had a buxom figure that nearly rivaled that or Lilith and Eve's, emphasized by the amber eyes she and the comatose girl shared.

"L-Lady Leviathan, my apologies! I didn't realize it was you." He replied, bowing in respect.

"Hey, I'm here too!" Someone complained.

The Doctor looked to see a girl around the sleeping girl's age tapping her foot, making the Doctor give a nervous chuckle before he rubbed the back of his head.

"Oh, my apologies Tsufaame." The Doctor apologized.

"Sorry if this visit was a little unexpected, but... how are the treatments working? Is my Ingvild recovering?" Leviathan asked.

Hearing this, the Doctor sighed and motioned them to sit down, which they did.

"Normally, if a Devil contracts the Saevasomnum virus, it isn't too hard to treat them here. It was probably one of the best breakthroughs we had made in our medical care... unfortunately, it seems this is a new strain that's incredibly drug resistant if not outright immune to them. I've tried every treatment, but nothing's been working, and that's not the worst of it." He explained.

Picking up a tablet, he showed the data on Ingvild's vitals over the last few days.

"This one's bodily degradation seems to be even worse. Unlike previous cases, I've failed to even delay it, so based on what I'm seeing so far..." The Doctor continued.

"W-what's going to happen to my big sister?" Tsufaame asked, biting her nails.

The Doctor turned his head, looking away.

"If we can't find a cure for this strain? I'm afraid that based on what I've seen so far... Ingvild won't live past her 13th birthday." He revealed.

On that day, for the first time in any of the Devils' recorded history, everyone heard the Maou of Envy do something that truly shook even her fellow leaders of Hell...

She screamed.

* * *

Back in Kuoh Town, the sight of Lucifer and Lilith's room was seen, both of them giggling as they sat in bed together. The Devil King currently had his arm being hugged by his wife's world record-sized breasts as they cuddled close.

"I'll never understand it Lucifer, don't you ever get tired of acting like we're newlyweds?" She teased.

"Why should I? I've got the most beautiful wife in the world, so it would be a crime to treat you as anything less than an untarnished treasure belonging to me alone." He replied, moving near her ear.

The Devil Queen giggled as he began to nibble it... right as they felt a sudden chill through their veins.

"Oh no... that was the horrible chill we only feel when something's wrong with one of the other Maou!" Lucifer realized, sweating nervously.

"Quick, call Satan right now!" Lilith shouted, throwing him a cellphone.

He fumbled with it for a bit, eventually managing to grab hold as he dialed up the Maou of Wrath.

『"Lucifer? Is that you?"』 Satan replied.

"Hey Satan, did something happen in Hell in the most recent few minutes or so?" Lucifer asked.

『"Uh... yeah, everyone just heard Leviathan scream on the top of her lungs. I mean it. Literally ever Devil is calling about having heard her voice echo through the area, enough that Belphegor's avoiding the rest by pretending to be asleep."』 Satan answered.

The Father of all Devils began to shake and sweat, gulping a bit. Leviathan choosing to panic over something was bad enough, but due to recent events...

"Why did she scream?" He asked.

At that moment, Vali was rubbing her eyes as she walked through the hall to reach the bathroom.

"That was way too much juice before bed..." She mumbled tiredly, her drowsiness clearly present.

"Wait, say that again? What's wrong with Ingvild!?" Lucifer screamed.

Having been right by their door, Vali suddenly paused as she ignored her need to use the bathroom, moving to place her ear against it as she felt her body shake.

"You can't be serious... she has only eight years before she dies from it? Literally all our known treatments failed!? Oh man, that'll break Vali's-" He continued.

Sobbing suddenly reached his ears, making him and Lilith suddenly freeze as their pupils dilated.

"Uh oh... Satan, did you hear me scream by any chance in the last minute or two?" Lucifer asked.

『"Sort of, not sure how loud it was, but... you did scream or yell. Why do you ask?"』 Satan answered, blinking in confusion.

The Devil King paled at that, leaving only Lilith to hear the sound of their daughter running.

"Keep talking with Satan, I'll go check on Vali." She stated.

Getting up and putting on her slippers, she opened the room and sensed her daughter's aura, leading her into the bathroom. The closed door and the light shining through it being what confirmed Vali's presence.

"Sweetie, open up. It's your mommy." Lilith requested, knocking on the door.

"No!" Vali cried, sniffling moments after.

The Devil Queen just paused before she simply used magic to unlock it, making Vali nearly fall off the toilet as she did.

"You and I would normally have a talk about that... if it wasn't for why you even said it to me." She sighed, sitting by her.

Vali sniffled as Lilith hugged her into her chest, just letting her cry.

"It's all my fault... it's all my fault..." Vali repeated, sniffling more.

"No it isn't, we all failed to see it hiding in plain sight... our obliviousness is let that incident happen. You have no reason to blame yourself for saying she had the Nereid Kyrie in your excitement. I know just how much Leviathan's been suffering, just from the sheer thought of feeling she shouldn't have told her about her power." Lilith reassured her.

"But I... I..." She sniffled.

Lilith kissed her forehead, hugging her closer as the warmness of her chest made Vali's cries quiet down into a silent sob.

"I think it's time you learn of the one part of your favorite bed time story I've never told... because it's the only one I feel would bring you tears instead of making you smile." The Devil Queen decided.

"Huh?" Vali blinked, looking at her.

"The nine beings representing the Maou... the ones who would be the seven deadly sins, the Devil Queen, and your father's most loyal servant? We had all been gathered, but as we reached where we chose to make the land we decided to name Hell, those who would become the Shinou and the leaders for the Fallen Angels and Demons came to stand in our way. All nine of us each fought our respective opponents, awakening the powers we'd gain as Devils to achieve our victories." Lilith continued.

She placed her free hand on top of Vali's left hand at that moment.

"However, that's when Elohim himself chose to join the battle. Not only were we no match him, but our battles had pushed us too far to do anything, even your father had been left powerless before the Biblical God's power. As he struggled in vain to win the fight, the leader of the Angels chose to hurt him in the greatest way possible... by striking me with a fatal wound." She revealed.

Vali's eyes widened at that, releasing a quiet gasp.

"I felt myself slipping away, but I saw the face Lucifer made... I heard the tears he shed... all as everything went black for me. It was that moment that changed everything against God's favor, why your father managed to find the sacred darkness hiding within him that made him and the rest of us into the first Devils to ever walk this world. As they fought, my last thoughts were apologizing to him for leaving him... yet just as I accepted my fate, I felt something pull me back up."

"Something reached into me, finding itself where I felt a void from where I had been injured down to my very heart and soul. However, rather than reaping me from the living world, it chose to save me. Before I realized it, what I lost was being restored and repaired, then I opened my eyes to see at the near risk of his own life that someone had brought me back from the brink of death. That one who saved me... was your Uncle Satan." Lilith smiled.

The Devil Princess stayed silent, just listening to what her mother told you.

"When Lucifer ended the battle, choosing to spare Elohim because doing so would have been giving him mercy, he came back and saw me alive. I never saw him drop his pride as much as I ever had at that moment, not even when Leviathan inspired his idea to oppose Elohim and give Humanity the gift of freedom. Had it not been for Satan... I'd never gotten to bear the miracle of having you." She continued, shedding tears of joy.

Now it was clear to Vali why the other Maou were considered Lucifer's brothers and sisters beyond the Sacred Darkness making them as such. Because of Satan's one act, they had become a true family to one another.

"That's why you shouldn't give up hope Vali, because we'll find a way. Even when it seems like you've lost everything... one simple thing can save it all." Lilith promised, placing her hand on the back of her hand.

"Mommy..." Vali cried, soon closing her eyes.

Realizing her daughter's crying had drained all the energy she had left, the Mother of all Devils picked her up and carried her back into her room.

"Sleep well, my little Morning Star." Lilith whispered, placing her forehead against hers.

The Mother of all Devils left the room, looking at her daughter one last time as she saw her frown slowly turn into a smile. It was one that she would hold onto for her faith... the same kind of faith Ruihi chose to believe in when she set out.

* * *

Somewhere in Kyoto's walls, a white-haired woman heard the sound of a man's screaming.

Focusing her Chi into all her senses, there was one thing she noticed that made her eyes open in horror, realizing her husband's life force had become... completely silent.

"No... he's found us." She breathed.

 _"Fujimai!"_  A chilling voice echoed.

Panicking from the voice she heard, the one known as Fujimai immediately ran to find her children, phasing through the door of her older daughter. Inside the room, the 10-year old with black hair looked at her in surprise.

"Kuroka, get outside and wait for me! I have to go find your sister!" She ordered, still shaking.

"Mom, w-what's wrong?" Kuroka asked.

"I can't explain right now, just that we're in danger! We have to get out of here... while I can still save both of you!" Fujimai answered.

Only then did she understand why her father was absent, an unfortunate wisdom she had due to her age being in the double-digits.

"R-right..." She obeyed.

She vanished in a ghostly flame, giving Fujimai the prompt to finally rush into her younger daughter's room. Once she did, the sight of 5-year old that took after her appearance sleeping on a bed was seen, unaware of everything going on could be seen.

Knowing it was better to keep her asleep to get her to safety, she picked her up and prepared to leave...

*"SHRIEK!"*

Fujimai screamed as a dagger stabbed into her arm, but instead of making it bleed, it went gray as it became completely paralyzed. Looking at her daughter waking up, she panicked as she saw the sight of something approach.

'I won't be able to carry Shirone like this. Worse, if we get caught, then she'll be...' She breathed, feeling the paralysis spread beyond her one arm.

Closing her eyes, tears flooded out as she gave her daughter the last hug she ever would, knowing that this was her end. A magic circle appeared below her, and she slowly walked towards the door.

"Shirone, Kuroka... I was proud... to have been your mother." She apologized.

Kicking the door down, she sprouted two cat tails and ears, making a determined face as she charged downstairs, right as the magic circle teleported her younger daughter out of the house.

* * *

**~ Kuoh Town: Autumn, 2011**

A loud shout of excitement was heard as the now 9-year old Homura back flipped across the streets of Kuoh Town, a bag of groceries in her hand as she headed home. When she finally got there, her mother saw her arrive and held out a hand for her to drop them.

Seeing her cue, that's exactly what she did, landing right by her side as she flashed a toothy grin at Eve before she felt a pat on the hand.

"Thank you, my little spitfire." Eve smiled.

"Of course, always happy to help!" Homura replied, giving a thumb's up.

Eve giggled at that.

"Then how about you help your brother make lunch? He's still not good with peeling anything." She suggested.

"Let me guess... potatoes?" She assumed.

Eve nodded her head, with the fiery redhead shaking her head as she walked into the kitchen. As she did that, Eve suddenly felt a tug on her shirt, getting her attention as she turned to see a 7-year old girl looking at her.

She had light blue eyes instead of the red and green eyes of her parents, along with the white hair she got from her mother. It wasn't hard to say she was the winter to Homura's summer.

"Oh, do you need something Fubuki?" Eve asked.

Her youngest child didn't say anything, simply giving a shy blush as she looked away. Unlike her older siblings, Fubuki wasn't very social or extroverted, so she rarely spoke. Even when she, did her words were often so soft and quiet that most wouldn't hear her.

"Do you just want to spend time with mommy?" She asked, petting her daughter's head.

"Y-yes..." Fubuki said softly.

"Alright, then let's go out and get some ice cream together. Lilith did ask me to get a sundae supreme for her." Eve suggested.

Her daughter nodded at that, soon taking her hand as they left the house.

* * *

As she walked into the kitchen, Homura hopped into view as she saw Issei using a peeler on a potato.

"Stupid... dirty vegetable!" He grunted loudly, showing a large and noticeable vein on his forehead.

"Uh... Issei, I think that might not be a-" She warned.

*"SPLAT!"*

Her words came too late as the entire potato to burst across his face. Sighing a bit, he grabbed a paper towel as he wiped it all off, a clearly annoyed look on his face.

"I hate these things when I'm not eating them!" He complained.

"Maybe you should be gentler with them, like the breasts you've been having on mind lately." Homura teased.

The Boosted Gear's host suddenly went redder than his hair as he saw his sister laughing at him.

Ever since his recent introduction to the world of puberty, which included him developing a noticeable passion for huge breasts, Homura and Eve had been teasing him about it whenever they could.

"H-hey, that's not true! It's not like I stare at mom's enormous rack all the time!" Issei screamed.

At that moment, Homura stopped laughing.

"Uh... I never mentioned mom." She replied.

The eldest of Eve's children blushed once again before throwing the paper towel he cleaned himself with at her face, getting some of the mashed potatoes on her.

"Hey!" Homura exclaimed.

"S-shut up sis!" Issei shouted.

Familiar giggling was heard as the two suddenly paused, looking to the side as a familiar white magical circle showed itself on their kitchen floor. It didn't take long before Vali appeared from it.

The last five years had only done wonders for Vali's beauty, making her look even more like a princess. Not to mention due to her being a Devil, she had already hit puberty a few years back, already having an attractive figure and a generous chest... which Homura was slightly jealous about.

"You two look like you're having fun." She smiled, waving hello.

"O-oh, hey Vali!" Issei greeted, blushing a bit as he looked away.

Homura gave a silent giggle before making a chirping sound to reference a certain rhyme, making Issei blush before lightly elbowing her shoulder.

"So, did you finish what you needed to do yesterday?" Homura asked, rubbing her arm.

Vali nodded her head, soon holding out her left hand before tapping it with her right pointer finger, making a smaller magic circle appear on her hand. Moments after, a small blue Dragon was seen flying above it.

"Issei, Homura? Meet my new familiar, Rassei the Sprite Dragon." Vali revealed.

"A real Dragon!?" Issei gasped.

"Hold up... did you just say his name is Rassei?" Homura asked.

Vali blinked in confusion.

"Yeah?" She answered.

"Rassei..." Homura repeated.

The Heiress of Lucifer still didn't get it, only seeing Homura give her a deadpan stare.

"Uh... yeah?" Vali answered once again.

"Right..." Homura replied, nodding a bit.

It didn't take a genius for anyone in Japan to realize that was clearly a fusion of Issei's name with Raigeki, a word that could mean lightning.

"Out of curiosity, what exactly is a familiar?" Issei wondered aloud.

"A non-sapient creature that we Devils make a contract with to aid us in daily events. The benefit is that we give them the ability to speak and manifest a humanoid form they can change into if ever needed. In Rassei's case, a Sprite Dragon is a variant of Dragon that chose to get smaller at the cost of that sapience, though he's only just a baby, so he can't talk yet even if I wanted him to." Vali explained.

"Then why didn't you get an older one?" Homura asked.

Vali blushed at that, rubbing her cheek in embarrassment.

"Because... you can't tame one that's grown up, meaning you can only make a contract with a baby. Even then it's incredibly hard. Believe it or not, I think the only reason Rassei even chose me was because I have Albion's power." She explained.

"Oh... then it's like certain video games where you have to earn a rare item before you can use it." Homura realized.

Getting closer to Rassei, the redheaded girl waited to see how it would react to her. Luck ended up in her favor as he licked her cheek, making Homura giggle as it was made clear that Rassei viewed her as a friend.

"Aww! Hey there little guy, I'm-" Issei cooed.

"No Issei, don't get near him!" Vali warned.

The Boosted Gear's wielder looked confused, especially as Vali realized he was already too close to Rassei by how the small blue Dragon looked at him. Homura noticed her blue face, immediately realizing it was a bad sign, right as Rassei decided to...

Nuzzle into his chest. Homura looked at Vali again, but now she just seemed plain confused by what had happened.

"Uh... what am I missing?" Homura asked, scratching her head.

"Hey kids!" Shinri shouted.

All three of them saw him walk into the room with a letter, right as Rassei's face suddenly glared from him getting too close. The worry that Vali had tried to give Issei was finally answered as Rassei zapped his blue lightning at the man, making the letter fly into the air in response.

"I was trying to warn you that Sprite Dragons hate males from every species except their own, which usually leads to them attacking with their blue lightning if they invade their personal space." Vali explained.

"But he only zapped my father... wait, that lightning's not lethal, is it?" Homura noticed.

Shinri shook off the crispy spots on his body.

"No worries there, I've faced much worse before." He reassured them.

'Please, don't ever tell us what qualified as  _worse_.' Homura begged.

Vali and Homura looked at Rassei still nuzzling against Issei, almost as if he was hugging his father. Noticing this and looking at Vali, a playful smirk appeared on Homura's face as she did another bird whistle.

"Huh? Did someone leave a window open, because I hear a robin." Shinri wondered, completely missing the source.

It took a moment before the daughter of Lucifer realized the possible reasoning her new familiar chose to be friendly to Issei instead of showing his species' usual hostility to most men.

"Oh wait, Issei has the power of Ddraig inside him, so Rassei must think he's a fellow Dragon." Vali realized.

"You think so?" He replied.

"I can't think of any other reason, so it's the best one we've got." She answered.

Rassei soon yawned, going to sleep as Vali took him in her arms.

"Take a good rest for now." She whispered.

A magic square appeared under the Sprite Dragon, making him disappear. The letter landed by the group at that very moment.

"Oh yeah, Irina finally sent her next letter." Shinri remembered.

"Let's see." Issei replied, grabbing it from the air.

He opened it up, making Vali and Homura press their heads near his as they saw a picture of her with a girl that had long blonde hair. The main difference between Irina aside from slowly getting a figure like her mother's was she changed her hair style into long twin tails.

_"Irina here, sorry for the long reply since last time. I've been having fun in Italy while also learning more about how the church works beyond just the Angels here. Not only that, I recently made a new friend as you can tell by this picture! Her name's Asia Argento, a really kind girl with a Sacred Gear that has the power to heal anyone. It'll still be some time before I'm back home, so don't forget to tell me what's happened on your end!"_

All of them smiled at that.

"Sounds like she's having fun, but I wonder what kind of Sacred Gear that girl has?" Homura wondered.

"There's two healing-type Sacred Gears that I'm familiar with through your mother's knowledge. Those two being the Holy Resuscitation and Twilight Healing, both of which have numbers in the single digits, I think Gabriel once mentioned that an exorcist who works for Raphael has the former." Shinri recalled.

"Meaning it must be Twilight Healing." Homura realized.

Shinri nodded his head.

"Yeah, especially since I think Holy Resuscitation only works on beings of holy or light elements. Not to mention Twilight is often both light and darkness merged as one... at least that's what a lot of video games and anime imply today, don't they?" He replied.

"Uh... think so?" Issei mentioned, a bit unsure.

"You never played that game I lent you last week, did you?" Vali asked, giving him the smile stare in response.

Issei paled at that, making his father and sister struggle not to laugh.

* * *

Within a snowy area, the sight of Sandalphon could be seen as she stood by an older Rias and a male Devil with chestnut/orange-colored hair.

"So, this is the place?" The Shinou asked.

"Definitely where this project's being held, and based on what I've learned..." The male Devil answered.

The Angel placed a hand on his shoulder.

"No need to say it, because of your lucky discovery... we'll be able to save those children. Now stay out here in case any of them get out, as I won't be able to help any children that manage to escape." Sandalphon replied.

Spreading all twelve of her wings, the Virtue of Patience flew towards the building, right as the sight of purple gas went off.

"How awful... to think such a horrible man managed to ever end up in the church." The male Devil stated, his eyes shaking.

"I know Ashir, but nothing's that absolute for anyone. Evil can lurk within good, just as something good can be born through something evil." Rias replied.

*"COUGH!"*

Both of them heard the noise and turned in one direction. After a bit, the sound of snow being stepped on could be heard, making them see two silhouettes running through the forest... before they collapsed on the ground.

"Looks like two of the children escaped the building, let's go." Ashir stated.

The two Devils rushed towards the area, seeing a blonde boy with short hair and a white-haired girl with twin tails lying on the ground. Feeling their arms, Ashir checked them for a pulse, but felt nothing from either of them.

"Rias, these two were orphans like everyone in there... I think you're the one they need more between us." Ashir suggested.

"Understood." She nodded, walking forward.

Taking out what resembled Chess Pieces, she walked near the two before she turned them over.

Placing the Chess Pieces on their stomachs, a chant could be heard before they glowed red and sunk into them. Before either of them knew it, they opened their eyes and saw the wind blowing against her hair as a contrast against the monochrome setting of the snowy forest.

"If you have nothing, then let me give you something to call you on. From now on... live for me." She smiled to them.

* * *

Within the building itself, scorch marks were seen from the holy energies of Sandalphon's powers, all of the kids lying on the ground alive, but still weak from the brief amount of poison they had breathed in.

"Sorry for making all of you wait. Just rest for right now, rest until we can safely transport all of you out of here." She promised them all.

"Thank... you..." A female child tiredly answered.

Rubbing her head, the Virtue of Patience took out a deck of cards with the Heart Suit, shuffling through them until she found the Queen of the deck. Putting the others away, she tapped the card to create a magic circle.

"Jessica, do you copy?" Sandalphon asked, hoping to get through.

〖"I'm here, what do you need my King?"〗 She replied.

"Let the other Shinou know that I've managed to help the Bael Heiress in locating and rescuing the children in the Holy Sword Project's location and I need every Angel they can send to bring them up until Elohim can find a better solution for how we can help them. Also, send in a report to make sure Valper Galilei is banned from all church's, for he is now exiled for the nature of his experiments." The Shinou requested.

〖"Understood, Jessica Lagerkvist out."〗 Jessica replied.

The magic circle on the card disappeared before Sandalphon placed it back with the others. Getting back on her feet, she looked deeper within the building to find answers on what Valper had managed to do before he got away.

"I may have failed to stop him, but at the very least he was forced to flee before he could gather everything. He had to have left something that can clue us in." She stated, looking around.

After a bit, she noticed a few papers that seemed to mention a few details, along with a cracked crystal that was mostly clear with some blue splotches within it.

"Hmm... what is this? Did he actually try to make more Excaliburs?" She questioned.

* * *

Issei and Vali were currently seen together in the park, with the Lucifer Heiress currently sitting on the former's back as he did some push-ups.

"Come on Issei, you can do it!" Vali encouraged.

"3... no, can't do it!" He grunted, sweating a bit.

Leaning on his back, Issei felt his face go red as Vali's generous bust rested against it, making him feel a surge of adrenaline force itself into his veins. Nearing his ear, she smiled.

"Don't give up! Homura showed she can go the distance, and so can you!" She cheered.

At that moment, she had to hold tightly not to fall off as Issei's pathetic attempt to exercise suddenly changed into him accelerating through... completely unaware her cheering had not been the catalyst.

"See? You're doing it!" Vali exclaimed happily.

'I got to touch boobs without even trying or in a way that'd make a girl angry! Show you earned that prize Issei, you're a man!' He thought, feeling a fire in his eyes.

Before Vali could realize it, he suddenly stood up and began running, making her blush as she was forced to piggyback him to avoid falling on either her back or head.

'Oh no, think I may have motivated him  _too_  much!' The silvery-white haired Devil panicked.

As Issei kept running, a few people noticed the situation and gave confused looks at what they saw, with the exception of a certain building they passed by. Inside the building in question, the sight of Lucifer could be seen, looking at Cleria in her bed.

However, it was the bundle in his hands that his eyes were looking at more. A small baby girl with black hair tipped at the end with her mother's gray hair.

"Congratulations, you're finally a mother." Lucifer smiled.

"Thank you, Lord Lucifer... especially for gracing me with your visit." Cleria replied, shedding happy tears from her tired form.

Masaomi soon walked into the room, placing a moist towelette on his wife's head to help her cool off.

"What's the baby's name?" Lucifer asked.

"It's Cecilia. It starts with a C like her mom, but it has a similar sounding part to it like mine." Masaomi revealed.

Lucifer blinked for a bit.

"Ce-cil-ia... Ma-sa-o-mi... oh! I get it now, the first two syllables in each of your names don't sound that different from each other." He quickly realized.

The retired exorcist nodded his head, verifying his thoughts.

"I'm still very happy for you, this is a big step towards eventually restoring the unity of the Christian Pantheon, just like the marriage between Shemhazai and his wife." Lucifer smiled, looking at Cecilia's sleeping form again.

"Ah, didn't they just have a son a few months ago?" Masaomi recalled.

"Yeah, they named him Lirenkus if I remember right. I'd ask, but... Azazel's oldest child has been getting a little problematic as of recently." Lucifer answered.

Masaomi gave a nervous chuckle at that, feeling a bead of sweat on his cheek.

"If I remember right, wasn't there also a marriage between a Fallen and one of the Demon Lords? Haniel I think." Cleria recalled.

"Don't remember hearing about that one, but I know Cassiel's always a lot easier to contact. Especially when her husband and daughter are researching anything from the ruins of Salathavea." Lucifer replied.

The Maou of Pride went silent, clearly showing on his face he didn't have the same enthusiasm about learning why the only ones who ever surpassed the Demons in technology were wiped out without a trace or clue to what did so.

'Cassiel was the Virtue of Perseverance, so I don't blame why she has the courage to keep going... but I'm not as excited to learn why such an advanced civilization was destroyed only-' He thought.

Whimpering was suddenly heard from Cecilia as a weird stench filled the room.

"Masaomi, that's your first diaper change! Do it now!" Lucifer demanded.

"Huh!?" He exclaimed.

"You're the dad, so you aren't making me do it! Not to mention your wife's exhausted from popping her out!" He yelled.

The retired exorcist groaned as he picked up his daughter, going green from the horrible stench building in her diaper.

* * *

Up in the Fallen Angel's home of Grigori, fires could be the Grigori HQ, with everyone looking in horror that such a fire even happened.

"Mom, do you know what's going on here?" Yuuma asked.

"Your older sister is what happened... she ran off after setting this fire." Penemue revealed.

No one was surprised at Yuuma's shock.

"Why... I know she's become more horrible since her 10th birthday, but why would she do this? Just what could drive her to... to betray us?" She questioned.

Penemue sighed.

"We don't know, but that's why we have to stop her, even if that means doing the one thing your mom and I believed we never would." Azazel answered, walking by.

"Father?" Yuuma gasped, realizing what he just implied.

At that moment, he handed her four black cards, each with an ace representing the four suits of Poker.

"But maybe... you're the one who can reach her. Take these Fell Saint cards, choose those you trust, bring her back and maybe... just maybe save her from herself." Azazel ordered, no requested... or even begged.

Taking all of the cards, Yuuma stared at them before giving a serious look, realizing what she had just been entrusted to do.

Rushing to a certain area, a group of four Fallen Angels were seen talking together when Yuuma barged in, getting their attention.

"Hey guys... think... you can do me a favor?" She panted.

* * *

Tightening a wrap around her explorer's bag, Kelsey wiped her forehead as she finished packing. Like Vali, her figure had become quite voluptuous with a gifted chest.

"I've got everything on my end dad, you ready?" She asked.

"You got it, all my stuff packed and I'm ready to set off!" Adam answered, wearing his bag.

At that moment, Cassiel walked in.

"Time for another Salathavean Kingdom expedition I see. Mind sharing which ruins you've decided to search through this time?" She asked.

Adam giggled at that, looking at her.

"Doubt you'll believe it, but I think we've managed to find the capital." He revealed.

Cassiel's eyes widened at that.

"No way, are you serious? After no luck or leads for an entire century!?" She exclaimed, both wanting to believe it yet not believing it.

"I've been wrong before, but Kelsey mentioned something that made me notice something I hadn't. That's why I think this has to be it. While it may not give us all the answers if we find it, the breakthrough we'd make with their tech would still be amazing!" Adam replied.

"Seriously, do the two of you secretly eat nuts and bolt every morning without me noticing?" Kelsey questioned, giving a teasing smirk.

Both her parents gave nervous laughs and looked away.

"Well, if this is really the right lead, then I think you should have a little hand." Cassiel replied, throwing something.

Kelsey soon caught a box in her hands, then opened it up.

"Hold on, these are... you're giving me a set of the Vile Piece prototypes?" She exclaimed.

"Since I have to stay here to avoid a lecture from Camael, best I give you a few allies to be by your side. Hope you find a good batch of five out there you can trust." The Demon Queen replied, winking a bit.

The Demon Princess smiled at that, blushing slightly in embarrassment.

"I'll make sure to use them well." Kelsey promised, putting them away.

With that, the father and daughter pair headed for the train station as Cassiel waved goodbye, both of them having high hopes for what they might find.

* * *

Deep in the region of Olympus, a man was seen sitting on the ground.

It was only moments later a leaf fell, creating a small dinging that only his ears were meant to hear... causing his eyes to briefly widen in response.

"This breeze... is this what you warned me of?" He questioned.

Standing up, he walked down a flight of stairs, soon finding a field where another God was seen, harvesting fields with a sickle.

However, those well versed in Greek myth knew he wasn't just any God, or more specifically... had a certain title different from one.

"Cronus!" The man shouted.

Now revealed as the leader of the Titans, the one known as Cronus turned to him.

"Father, what is it?" He asked, revealing the man as Ouranos.

"I've received a certain message, so I need you to watch my domain as I go to meet with Zeus and let him know." Ouranos answered.

"Understood, how long will you be gone?" Cronus inquired.

"An hour at the latest." The Protogenoi assumed.

With that, the original leader of the Greek Pantheon continued on his way, sighing a bit as he thought about the sound the leaf made.

'Shekhinah's warning... I didn't think it would be so soon.' He thought.

* * *

After running around for what was likely... actually, Vali had lost count because she was too busy screaming her lungs out as Issei continued running everywhere, the crimson-red haired boy finally felt his adrenaline rush end and slumped to the ground.

In fact, the wielder of Ddraig didn't even seem to realize the Heiress of Lucifer was on his back during the entire thing, only noticing the fact after he had stopped.

"Sorry about that Vali, guess the rush was too much." Issei apologized.

"Don't worry, it wasn't as bad as it looked. Probably should avoid motivating you like that in the future." Vali chuckled.

Hearing that, Issei felt himself pale a bit.

"Eh, that... wasn't why I managed to rush around like I did." He admitted, turning away.

Vali blinked, looking at him.

"Really, then what was it? I didn't notice anything." She asked.

"Better you don't know." Issei chuckled, starting to sweat a little.

Hearing that, Vali wondered about the last few moments before he suddenly found himself full of energy, then remembered how she leaned on him. Or more specifically? The front of her body, which when combined with a hormonal boy in early puberty...

Feeling her face heat up, Vali gave a quite whimper, deciding to not tell Issei that she managed to figure it out on her own.

"OK, uh... any idea where we are?" She asked.

Scratching his head, Issei looked around the area that he got them into. All he could recognize was it was an area full of trees around the outskirt areas of Kuoh Town.

A rustling was soon heard from the trees, making Vali's body shake.

"Uh oh... only time I've ever noticed you stiffen up like that was back when we ran into that Stray Devil that Touji saved us from." Issei realized.

"You're right, the two of us aren't alone right now." She confirmed.

Heavy panting was heard, causing the two friends to place themselves back to back, trying to find one another as they moved in a circle pattern to try detecting the one making the noise.

That's when it appeared and released the magic barrier that kept those unaware of the supernatural away, but what they saw on the other hand?

"Wait a second, this is..." Vali gasped, her eyes shaking.

Issei suddenly looked at the silver-haired Devil, noticing her making the most terrified face she ever had since they met five years ago. He was also sure this was the first time he had even simply seen her afraid.

Memories that Vali despised raced through her head, recalling a memory she didn't want to remember.

* * *

_Vali was seen holding Ingvild in her arms, the Human/Devil child of the Leviathan Clan's eyes just two dull orbs of amber. She looked towards the Lucifer Heiress as she felt herself slipping into slumber._

_"I feel... strange, why am I so sleepy?" Ingvild asked._

_"Don't fall asleep, please. You have to stay awake!" Vali begged, tearing up as she watched her friend struggle in vain._

_Feeling her breathing slow, Ingvild raised her hand to her friend's cheek._

_"Are you... crying? I'm sorry, that was... the last thing that... I... wanted..." She apologized, shedding a tear._

_Her eyes closed, finally succumbing to the virus' effects._

_"Ingvild? No, wake up Ingvild... Ingvild!" Vali begged._

_At that moment, something exploded from behind her, making Vali's tears stop as she turned around... her eyes shaking in fear at what she heard, then saw firsthand. The horrible roaring it made caused her eyes to shake as she started to hyperventilate._

* * *

It was some giant black creature with a bunch of its body glowing a dark rainbow of colors, unleashing the deadly roar she heard that day as they briefly all turned a white color that had a dark ripple that seemed to represent something corruptive.

Seeing it himself, even Issei started to understand Vali's reaction better, even if it was only why she could be afraid of it... as he was started to feel terrified himself.

"V-Vali... what supernatural creature this is?" He asked.

"This isn't a supernatural creature Issei..." Vali answered, her eyes still shaking.

Hearing that, Issei felt his blood go cold.

"It's... a monster." She continued, feeling her left-hand shaking.

The strange creature roared before rushing at the duo, making Vali's eyes tense as she finally reacted by grabbing Issei's hand.

"Just run! That thing isn't something people should fight unless they're my parents, Gabriel, your mother, or someone on their level!" She screamed.

"Huh?" Issei blinked, surprised at her words.

The monster rose its arms up, making its hands shake before they suddenly released powerful claws that it dug into the ground. Vali gasped before spreading her wings, grabbing Issei, then finally taking off into the skies as the ground began to contort.

'No way, Vali isn't just afraid... her words just feel like they're full of despair, as if she's seen this before.' He thought.

The contorting shifted as a giant hand rose out of it, making the duo scream as it grabbed them and squeezed tight. The monster immediately vanished before reappearing right next to its captured prey.

"Vali, something tells me you know what this creature is, so... do you mind spilling before it possibly kills us!?" Issei begged.

"It's a Malebranche, one of thirteen living weapons the Devils made long ago. Problem was they had been so dangerous that the Maou had to seal them, and even then, it took everything they had!" She explained, panicking.

At that moment, it all made sense to Issei (though not in the right way) for why Vali had been so terrified upon seeing it.

For her own parents and the strongest Devils to struggle against this thing? She had every right to call it a monster, because by all means... a creation beyond even their control could be defined as nothing less

"Wait a moment, but you said that all of them had been..." He realized.

That was all he needed to say to figure it out, because he already saw his answer before he even asked what the Malebranche even was. Vali's shaking, the half that wasn't her fear... was firsthand trauma.

She had been face to face with this horrible creation once before, most likely it was why her family was living in Kuoh Town.

'Despair... she's truly facing despair... this is a living nightmare to her! Then I have to help her!' He realized, focusing a glare.

Screaming loudly, the Malebranche began to notice Issei pushing against the hand holding them, making it look confused that he was actually achieving such a thing. It immediately opened a slit that showed a gem on it and fired a beam.

Issei's eyes widened as he immediately rushed ahead to cover Vali, making him give a silent scream at the impact. Vali's eyes shook as she saw what he did.

"Don't worry, I'll... keep you safe..." He promised.

They both fell to the ground, with the Malebranche roaring once again as it teleported next to them once more.

'Again... it's happening again... people suffer because they have to keep me safe!' Vali thought, looking at Issei.

Right at that moment, Lucifer and Shinri ran into view as the latter spotted them.

"Look, there they are!" He shouted.

"Finally, just what kind of being created this-" The Devil King remarked.

He stopped as he saw the Malebranche before them.

"No way... how is Libicocco here!?" He questioned, his eyes shaking in horror.

"Wait, you mean that thing's a Malebranche? Just dealing with the one isn't too big of a risk for us, is it?" Shinri asked.

Lucifer shook his head, cracking his knuckles.

"Just one is fine, especially since it just happens to be the weakest of the bunch." He stated.

Holding out his palm, a mass of holy light formed inside of it.

As he walked by, the Lucifer Heiress briefly stared at her father, still holding the thoughts she just had in her head. Then came a set of words that changed everything...

"You did well in holding out until we got here, now let me take care of the rest." He stated.

That was it... Vali had enough, making her immediately grab his arm tightly. It was such a strong grip he had never expected from his own daughter that he looked at her in surprise, then saw the fierce look in her eyes.

 **「** **DanMachi: Yuuki wo, Kimi ni** **」**

"No, stand back..." She stated.

"What are you saying? That thing's too strong for you, not to mention what happened 5 years ago-" Lucifer replied, feeling a bit annoyed.

"I won't do it!" Vali screamed.

Lucifer suddenly paused, showing surprise as she saw the intensity in her eyes, seeing them flash like a supernova.

"Everyone always rescues me... I can't watch it anymore. Everyone always gets hurt for my sake. Ruihi did, Ingvild did, Lord Bael and Lord Gremory did, now Issei? This time, I have to be the one that does the saving!" She shouted.

Releasing her grip on her father, the Maou of Pride just stared as he found himself unable to do anything but watch his daughter walk towards Libicocco.

"Vali... are you finally facing it?" He said.

Lucifer and Shinri turned their heads as they heard a groan, seeing Issei get up as he finally regained consciousness and held his head, showing a small cut on his forehead that bled over his right eye.

"Stay still, I need to look at that wound." Shinri advised, tearing off some of his sleeve.

Placing it over the wound as a makeshift bandage, Issei winced a bit before he turned to the side. It was at that moment he saw Vali walking towards the Malebranche by herself.

"What's she doing?" He asked.

"My daughter... right now, she's trying to stand on her own feet for once... I can't stop her unless that thing risks killing her." Lucifer ordered.

Looking at the Vali facing the enemy before her, Issei could only stare.

'I was born from the union of the two strongest Devils that ever existed. Not only that, but I was born a Human/Devil hybrid due to a strange miracle, one that gave me the gift of a Longinus... it's time I prove those gifts weren't wasted.' She thought.

 **「** **Insert Song End** **」**

With a mighty yell, Vali spread her wings and flew forward, covering her body in the power of light she inherited from her father, making Libicocco charge at her.

* * *

**And there you have it, our first sign of any enemy forces in this story is none other than my interpretation of a surprise addition from the DxD Zero novel... the Malebranche! *cheers* To anyone that hasn't read or at least heard of the info from Zero, Tsufaame is a canon character from the novel herself, being Leviathan's daughter. In this story, she's the younger sister to Ingvild, but she's still a pureblood for reasons I'll explain later.**

**Ouranos was also another surprise I doubt anyone expected to see, especially the fact he and Cronus are living fine. This idea came to me after watching the Sword Oratoria side story of the DanMachi series, combined with me realizing Shekhinah being mother nature let her basically be Gaia, which works with Greek Myth when you remember their Roman equivalents.**

**For those who are wondering about Fubuki, her absence in the previous chapters was intended. She wasn't in Chapter 1 because she was in daycare at the time, while her absence in Chapter 2 was the result of her being with Shinri, as his only presence there was a single mention. Not to mention she was a 3-year old at the time, so unlike Homura, she wouldn't have really been able to understand anything.**

**Now, all that's left is for Vali to fight against Libicocco, because as she herself said? After what she's gone through, it's her time to be the savior instead of the saved. Question is, how does she fight an opponent that's basically an autonomous equivalent to the Longinus when she herself has yet to unlock her Divine Dividing's power? Regardless of how she does it, I think you'll like the powers this Vali has.**

**Until next time everyone, and stay awesome! ^^**


	4. Chapter 4

**This is it everyone! Our first major battle is finally getting started after last chapter left you all on a cliffhanger, the epic battle between Vali and the Malebranche known as Libicocco with her father, Issei, and Issei's father all watching without intervening on her request! Up until now, we haven't had any moments to really distinguish Vali's role as the protagonist of the story, but that ends here!**

**You guys might already be able to tell what will happen by this chapter's end due to the name if you're a veteran reader, but I'll withhold on saying anymore until we reach the end notes. For now, what I will say is that after last chapter's time skip, don't expect another until we start reaching the events of canon's present day, which isn't going to be for a long time.**

**Also, there's a review that I got over the fact I forgot to mention in the author notes that I made the Divine Dividing as a gauntlet on Vali's left hand intentionally, so I should mention this little detail as a future reference for all chapters. Due to this story being an AU, if there's something that doesn't match canon with any one character? 95% of the time it's on purpose, while the other 5% is usually mistakes over info that's unveiled in newer volumes.**

**Oh yeah, something interesting that I just noticed? Turns out I posted this story on the release date of Volume 19 of all days. While that might not seem like much, it turns out that this actually has some symbolize I didn't realize at first. One major part of this volume was a new Student Council was being elected, which means that in a sense... they were having a reboot, just like this story! Such a coincidence is one I'll take as good luck for this story :)**

**Before we start today's chapter, here's something I'd like to mention due to last chapter's reveal about Ingvild's condition. With how nothing the Devils have can help her, I'd like some suggestions on cures with supernatural origins, as the Lucifer family will be keeping an eye out for anything that can help her. For the suggestion that wins, the prize is choosing a harem member in a future DxD story of mine.**

**With all of that said, let's get this chapter started!**

* * *

**()**  - Albion Talking via the Divine Dividing

 **[]**  - Ddraig Talking via the Boosted Gear

 **«»**  - Consciousness of any other Sacred Gear Talking

 **〖〗**  - Voice Speaking through a Magic Circle

 **【】**  - Voice made by an Announcement or through an Announcer

 **「」**  - Insert Song Beginning or Ending

『』 - Electrical Voice or Machine Speaking

* * *

**_Chapter 4 - The Journey Begins_ **

Deep within the vast reaches of Mount Meru, the sight of Cao Cao was seen as he thrust a beam of light from the True Longinus, his opponent being revealed as the now 10-year Ruihi Satan.

The black-haired Devil zipped around the attack, soon fall backwards as he stabbed where she stopped. In doing so, Ruihi's body faded into darkness, catching her opponent off guard.

"What the?" He questioned, looking around.

 **«"So, this is the Satan Clan's unique power. Where Lucifer has the power he had as an Angel infused with the sacred darkness that makes up his Devil essence, its Satan who has the power over true darkness."»**  The True Longinus answered.

"Ah, I see. Then drawing her out should require something like... this!" Cao Cao replied.

Stabbing into the ground, a huge flash of power went out, forcing the shadows to recombine as Ruihi slid back into sight, looking slightly impressed.

"Game over!" He exclaimed.

Extending the spear towards her, Ruihi simply held out her hand and stopped the spear by simply pinching it. Seeing the Longinus he held be stopped so easily, he smiled a bit, retracting it back to normal size.

"Impressive, the only other person I've seen do something along those lines is Sun Wukong, and he just stopped it with his finger." Cao Cao praised.

"Probably only worked because it's me, let's just say I have a little something more at my disposal." She replied.

Looking from a distance, Shiva gave an interested grin towards the Satan Clan's Heiress, giving a little laugh when he saw her snap at a small comment the True Longinus wielder made as a joke.

"Didn't think she'd manage to push herself that far since coming here." Her remarked.

A chuckle could be heard, immediately making the Hindu God of Destruction form a vein on his head as he turned to see the culprit. The man in question was a tanned man with a... odd choice of Hawaiian attire for clothing.

The other attire was a pair of circular sunglasses, a large bead necklace, and the vermillion mark on his forehead. As for who he himself was?

"Indra... of course you'd be walking by with Cao Cao here." Shiva sneered.

"Hello to you as well Shiva, guess you're still as salty and sour as ever. Are you like that naturally or-" Indra replied.

The God of War soon felt himself wincing in pain as Shiva twisted his arm and stepped on him, with his eyes glowing an angry glare at Indra's subdued form.

"R-right... crossing a line there. I'll stop now." He wheezed out.

He slumped onto the ground as Shiva let go, the God of Destruction's facial expression clearly showing he was still annoyed at him.

"So, that's the daughter of the girl who considers you as her father? The one who goes by Choronzon or something?" Indra inquired.

"That's her alright. If it wasn't, then what she just did would have been impossible." Shiva verified.

"Makes sense, being the daughter of Satan only keeps the True Longinus' attacks from being lethal. To actually stop it is something people like Wukong learned through their Prana manipulation." He chuckled.

Getting herself ready for a second round, the Satan Heiress cracked her knuckles and got back into fighting position.

"Her motivation likely helps... considering what happened in her homeland 5 years ago. I'm assuming Brahma or Vishnu's mentioned it once by now, right?" Shiva mentioned.

Indra frowned for the first time since watching the two training.

"Something's obviously stirring up, and I don't like it. You and I have had the same idea there based on the armies we've been readying." The God of Destruction continued.

"Question is what exactly is starting to stir up?" Indra wondered aloud.

Right as they said that, Ruihi phased past Cao Cao with one of her techniques at a speed he couldn't react to, followed by him screaming as she punched him towards the spot the two Gods were watching from.

A slight rumble was heard as he imprinted onto the side of the cliff face, with Ruihi quickly phasing up via her shadow to look.

"I didn't kill him, did I?" She asked.

"No clue, try poking him." Shiva shrugged.

"Poking him, really?" Indra questioned.

Looking at the War God, the Destruction God showed a deadpan stare.

"You'd rather she punch him again and risk possibly killing him anyways?" He inquired.

Lord Sakra froze at that.

"Poke him... poking is good." Indra quickly replied.

The black-haired Devil wisely chose not to respond.

* * *

Vali unleashed a storm of light blasts from a dozen magic circles surrounding her, with Libicocco holding its left arm up to block the attack.

"Let's see how you handle this!" She exclaimed.

Raising her arms out, an entire wall of magic circles formed before they all blasted beams of various light colors from it, pushing the Malebranche back slightly... though that was all it did as it simply scratched part of its torso in response.

'No way, that's all I did to it!?' Vali gasped.

"Damn, that thing's solid strong!" Shinri remarked, sweating a bit.

Lucifer gritted his teeth.

"And this is the weakest one, if you saw Malacoda in battle..." He remarked, briefly thinking about the Malebranche leader.

Charging the blowing spots on its body, Libicocco roared as it unleashed a storm of blasts across the battlefield.

Immediately grabbing Issei and Shinri, the Devil King moved out of the way as Vali barely managed to dodge most of the attack, yet still got hit from the painful recoil that slammed her like a barrage of armored fists.

"Vali!" Lucifer cried out.

"No, I'm not... done yet!" She grunted, forcing herself back up.

Libicocco moved its body, preparing to fire at her once more...

However, a magic circle appeared at that moment, showing Rassei coming from it. Libicocco looked at the small Sprite Dragon before it blasted lightning at its eyes. The intense surge caused the beast to roar as its vision was temporarily blinded.

"Nice one Rassei!" Issei cheered.

Flying near Vali, the young Dragon licked her face as she smiled.

"I'll accept that one bit of aid due to circumstances, so can you promise to leave the rest of this fight to me?" She asked.

Rassei made a weak roar, nodding his head before flying into Issei's arms to watch the fight.

**「** **Digimon Tri: Butterfly - Instrumental** **」**

Libicocco roared, now relying on its sight to fight Vali as it rushed at her. The Lucifer Heiress flew up to evade its claws as they tried to slash her, but it simply turned and charged its blasts again, making Vali dive down to avoid it.

Despite managing to dodge the attack, Libicocco's roar only got louder as it focused its body together.

*"WHIR!"*

All of the lasers merged into one mage blast, wrecking the entire area as the group observing the match was forced into the ground. Vali grunted as she struggled to move and dodge the attack coming her way.

'Come on, there has to be an opening somewhere!' The silvery-haired Devil questioned.

While facing more of the attacks, she suddenly noticed the glowing spots were flashing more than before, causing her to gasp as she got an idea.

" **Light of the Morning Star!** "

Gathering all the light she could in both her hands, she focused it before its flashing focus made the white glow turned golden and fire off like a shooting star towards one of the glowing areas.

At that moment, Libicocco screeched in pain as Vali finally scored some damage.

"Yes, I dealt a blow!" She exclaimed.

Her victory was short lived as one of its claws slashed at her, this time slightly cutting her right arm in the process. Wincing a bit as she held it, she opened one eye to look, only to gasp as Libicocco lunged at her.

**「** **Insert Song End** **」**

Vali screamed as she was suddenly grabbed and slammed into the ground, pushed by all of the Malebranche's might as the ground cracked from what was a replication of gravity's effect on her being multiplied.

"Damn you, get away from my child!" Lucifer screamed, prepared to rush in.

"No, stay back!" Vali demanded.

"This isn't a matter of being protected or not anymore! What kind of father would I be to just watch as you get killed!?" He screamed angrily.

Despite what he said, the Father of all Devils stopped once he saw the tears in Vali's eyes.

"I... have to do this, I've... never forgiven myself for that day. Even though... mom tells me it isn't my fault... how can one expect me to not blame myself at some level... when I let it happen because of just the words I spoke... that I let... Ingvild contact that virus by placing her in that position!" She screamed, pushing against the ground.

Libicocco showed surprise as Vali began resisting the pressure being applied to her, making it try pushing even harder than before.

**「** **Attack on Titan: Counterattack Mankind - First Half** **」**

"To save her... to make sure those who died that day can rest in peace, knowing it wasn't in vain... for me to finally forgive myself... I have to fight!" She shouted, pushing even more.

At that moment, a glow surrounding her body as her pupils suddenly flashed, turning a light blue color as they glowed with a swirling effect to them.

Libicocco suddenly felt its body shake as her left hand's backside began to glow blue, promptly followed by the manifestation of the Divine Dividing, making the Devil King's eyes widen as he saw it.

'Those eyes... that light... has she done it!?' Lucifer thought.

"My name is... Valiana Lucifer, and I will... not let anything stop me from protecting the people I care about! I will... become stronger!" Vali screamed, followed by a loud scream at the top of her lungs.

At that moment, Libicocco felt its arm bend strangely as it froze for a moment.

* * *

Ruihi was seen poking Cao Cao, making him twitch as the True Longinus' began to glow.

"Uh... guys, something's happening!" She exclaimed.

Shiva and Indra noticed this, feeling an odd wave emitting from the Sacred Gear's close proximity to them.

"This... aura..." Shiva remarked.

"Just what are we feeling?" Indra questioned, looking at it.

It wasn't long before the spear itself began to shake slightly.

* * *

The Malebranche felt the pressure on it reverse until Vali finally touched its arm with her left hand, and then...

**("DIVIDE!")**

Blue energy seeped off the Malebranche's body and flowed within the Lucifer Heiress, causing it to shiver a bit as it was drained. Vali finally used the chance to push off before throwing a punch at the rogue Devil Weapon's arm.

**「** **Fairy Tail: Believe in Myself - Instrumental** **」**

It screeched in pain once more as it was tossed a few feet, making Issei and Shinri gasp while Lucifer stared in shock as he kept watching.

"She's done it." He breathed.

As Vali got back on her feet and breathed, a huge glow surrounded her before heavy footsteps hit the ground, making Issei gasp at the sight that briefly appeared behind her.

It was a translucent version of Albion, causing even Libicocco's eyes to widen.

"No way. Dad, is... is that really the Dragon sealed inside of Vali?" Issei asked, feeling his eyes widen in awe at the White Dragoness' brief majesty.

"The White Dragon Emperor..." Shinri breathed.

Looking towards her opponent once more, Libicocco's blindness finally ended as it stared at Albion's form before it vanished.

"Come and get me." Vali challenged.

*"ROAR!"*

Libicocco immediately rushed ahead before jumping into the air, its body spreading as it formed wings and more glowing spots to blast the young Lucifer with. She quickly rushed through them all with a powerful look in her eyes.

Before the Devil Weapon could fully react, she hit its torso with a heavy impact, making its eyes widen as it was shot back across the field.

" **Lightspeed!** "

Rushing ahead in a single direction like a ray of light, she smashed into the Malebranche once more, though this time it growled as it dug its wings into the ground and pushed back before clasping its claws around Vali, enveloping her in a black mass of a prison.

"Vali!" Issei and Lucifer screamed in unison.

"Take this, all of it!" Vali screamed in response.

A huge surge of light was released from her body, pressing against Libicocco's claws and leaking through the gaps... yet it wasn't enough.

"You want some more!? Then you can have it!" The Heiress of Lucifer exclaimed.

This time, her Sacred Darkness poured out along with it, yet despite its now shaking hands, the Malebranche still refused to yield from the massive attack being forced against its body.

It would not let this puny Devil beat it, that much it was going to accomplish no matter what it took.

'Come on... you can do it, I believe in you!' Issei thought.

Taking a deep breath, he rushed ahead slightly and then closed his eyes.

"Show him your full strength, Vali!" He screamed at the top of his lungs.

Hearing that part of his voice reach her, Vali matched his volume before trying to exceed it, causing the darkness and light within her to start melding before finally... they fused into one form!

Lucifer's eyes widened as he gasped, while Libicocco panicked as the energy it tried to hold back finally swelled up and exploded. Smoking a bit, its damaged form fell to its knees before it released Vali from its grasp, leaving the Heiress of Lucifer to pant a bit.

**「** **Insert Song End** **」**

"I... I... did I win?" She asked, barely able to stay conscious.

She got her answer as her father rushed to hug her, silently crying happy tears as he held her close, never having felt so proud of her in the 10 years since she had been given to him and Lilith.

"You did it Vali, you actually beat that Malebranche monster!" Issei cheered, jumping for joy as he did.

'To push yourself so far that you managed to merge the darkness of your Devil essence into your light to make something more, something that I remember Lucifer saying he hadn't taught you yet... this victory truly is yours.' Shinri thought.

Libicocco roared once more getting everyone's attention as it got back up, only to vanish from view as the magical barrier dispelled.

Realizing how quickly it was falling, Lucifer's eyes flowed as he activated his magic to restore everything back to how it was before the battle had ever started. Issei blinked a bit, amazed at the Devil King's ability to do so.

"Come on Vali, let's go home. I think you deserve a long rest." He smiled.

"But... I'm not..." She said softly.

She never got the chance to finish as her eyes closed all of a sudden, making Lucifer panic a bit. Shinri immediately came over and placed a hand on her stomach.

"Don't worry Lucifer, it's just the exhaustion finally hitting her and making her fall asleep." He reassured.

The Father of all Devils sighed in relief, simply hugging his daughter close as he let himself be proud of her.

* * *

Libicocco crashed somewhere, panting heavily as its weakened form crawled over to a certain spot. When it finally reached there, it slumped as something walked up to it, making it lift its head.

"No, you did well. Especially considering I lied about not having things ready for you. It ended up working in our favor, as you lost in a weakened state that will leave them believing your weaker threshold is the limit to your power." The enigmatic figure said.

Helping Libicocco back to its feet, the unknown figure moved the Devil Weapon away from where it was and then put the creation in a room with its fellow brethren.

After doing this, the enigmatic figure walked until they reached a certain area, eventually finding themselves standing before a man who smirked at them. Sitting themselves down, the unknown person gave a look of intense focus towards their guest.

"So, did you manage to find what we were looking for?" The enigmatic figure inquired, a dark flash seen in their eyes.

* * *

The Mount Meru group kept watching the True Longinus' form shake until it stopped, eventually causing a light flash out as it manifested the being within.

Said being revealed itself to be some kind of energy creature that manifested as various shapes with metallic angelic wings that gave off an iridescent sheen as the curled around its body.

"No way... Da'ath has chosen to manifest outside the spear!?" Shiva breathed in awe.

He wasn't the only one in shock, even Indra and Ruihi had a similar reaction, with only Cao Cao not feeling the full weight to react as they were. Either way, it was truly a big deal for Da'ath to show a manifestation of his sealed form.

 **«"I felt it, the Divine Dividing has fully reawakened. The clash of powers I experienced was further proof... though it's no surprise since the Malebranche known as Libicocco was who its host fought against."»**  Da'ath revealed.

"Hold up, what did you just say?" Ruihi asked, her eyes shaking in disbelief.

Memories of that horrible day 5 years ago briefly flashed through her head, as did the sight of Vali's face and tears back then. The Satan Heiress was well aware that Vali was the current host of Albion's power, so if what Da'ath said was true.

 **«"It is as I just said young daughter of Satan. While your cousin was not able to destroy the weapon of your people's design, she forced it to retreat and heal the damage it received in battle."»**  He answered.

Lowering her head so her eyes were covered, the black-haired Devil shed a few tears of relief.

"Vali... I don't believe it. You've... finally managed to overcome your guilt." She whispered to herself, feeling a large weight life off her shoulders.

'And it seems that has allowed to you release the burdens you've carried as well.' Shiva smiled, looking at her.

Right as that was happening, a sudden jolt went through the Heiress of Satan, getting her attention as she looked around. This action confused the others as they looked at her, with even Da'ath not completely sure.

That same spark shot through her veins once more, but this time it seemed to call a certain direction it wanted her to follow.

"Ruihi, is something wrong?" Indra asked.

"I feel a strange force reaching out to me... and it's over there!" She answered, sharply turning towards it.

Before any of them could stop her, Ruihi immediately rushed towards it.

Slithering through her shadowy form, the Maou of Wrath's daughter found herself in a deep and dark area of Mount Meru that the lower Half-God races tied to the Six Realms called their home.

"This is strange... just what could be here that would call out for me." She wondered aloud.

**_"It was me..."_ **

Widening her eyes as she heard the voice, a faint glow got her attention before finding something that made her unable to believe her own eyes.

"Holy... freaking... crap!" Ruihi exclaimed.

* * *

Back in the Hyoudou Household, the sight of Lucifer placing his daughter on Eve and Shinri's bed was scene, pulling the covers over her as he rubbed his head. Watching from a distance, one could see Issei, Homura, Fubuki, and Eve could be seen.

"I still can't believe Vali managed to pull off what she did, and even better? Now she's finally learned how to use the Divine Dividing's power." Shinri praised.

"Yeah... though I'd like everyone here to promise me that we don't bring this up to Lilith, because she'd strangle me for letting her do this. As strong as I am, even compared to her, my wife is the one person who can scare me." Lucifer begged.

Eve giggled a bit, making him pout slightly.

"Uh... but won't she see Vali's injured stated and realize something happened?" Fubuki asked, looking confused.

Shinri shook his head.

"The problem here is Vali fought Libicocco on her own, but Issei was also there and got a nasty cut on his forehead. She's not going to flip out if we only told her they just got ambushed and had to rescue them." He clarified.

"Oh... I get it, so we don't tell her about it then?" She realized, feeling embarrassed.

Lucifer nodded his head, feeling that he was in the clear... only for a tight grip to suddenly grip his shoulder and make his face go blue. The answer became clear as everyone moved to the side, feeling a malicious aura radiating from the one touching him, which turned out to be Lilith herself.

"Sorry sweetie, but I already heard everything." The Devil Queen mentioned, her eyes closed and smiling of all things.

The Devil King gulped in response and then closed his eyes. Already knowing he was now in deep trouble, he just stood there waiting for whatever his wife would do for the stunt he pulled... only for him to feel her grab his ear.

"Be lucky, I don't usually let you off the hook so easily, but due to what I just found out... I kind of have to. It wouldn't be exciting news for our daughter otherwise." Lilith stated, emphasizing his luck.

"Wait, as in..." He realized, pointing at her as shock overcame him.

The Mother of all Devils winked a bit, then stuck out her tongue in a playful manner. Everyone else in the room simply showed confusion due to having no idea of what she was implying.

"And not just that... because of what you did, she's finally moving forward." She added, happy tears forming in her eyes.

Lucifer showed brief surprise, seeing her kneel by Vali's side as she took her hand.

"I'm so proud of you. All these years that you've felt so powerless and unable to do anything but watch against your will... you finally did it. As of today, there's no doubt in my mind that you've become strong." She praised, closing her eyes as she did.

Fubuki started to sniffle a bit, getting a little emotional over what she was hearing. Eve rubbed her back in response.

"Albion, isn't it rude to just watch?" Lucifer asked, looking at Vali's left hand.

 **("My apologies, I simply felt it would be rude to speak during such a touching moment.")**  She replied, appearing via a glowing blue circle.

Fubuki squealed in surprise, hiding behind her mother.

"Whoa... so, that's the Dragon living inside of Vali?" Issei breathed, looking at the glow.

The light flickered as Albion chuckled a bit.

 **("And you must be Issei Hyoudou, the one my mate currently lives inside.")**  The White Dragon replied.

"Hold the phone... did you just say mate, as in like your husband?" Homura interjected.

All the adults paused at that.

"Did we forget to mention that?" Eve inquired, sweating a bit.

Issei and Fubuki screamed in shock, while Homura simply put a hand over her mouth as she hid her laughter under it, remembering her earlier inquiry about Rassei's name.

 **('Something tells me I don't want to know what she's laughing about...')**  Albion realized.

"OK, that was... a very strange way to learn about that bit of history." Issei chuckled in a forceful manner, looking to the side.

A moment of silence quickly followed.

"Hey Lilith, should I heal Vali while we wait for... well, anything to happen?" Eve inquired, trying to break the ice.

"Yes, that's a good idea." Lilith agreed.

"Wait... mom, you have healing powers?" Fubuki asked, looking at her.

The first Human woman giggled a bit.

"Your father did tell you I know about some of the Healing-type Sacred Gears, didn't he? Guess who helped Elohim make the original two kinds in the first place." She answered, winking a bit.

"Somehow, I think we should have seen that coming." Homura chuckled, a sweat drop forming on her right cheek.

Moving by the young Lucifer Heiress' side, Eve put her hand on her head, releasing a rainbow glow that near-immediately caused all of Vali's wounds to disappear without any trace.

"Eve isn't just some ordinary healer either. Due to the Fruit of Life, she can do it better than anyone else in the world, with only the range of the Sephiroth Graal's healing exceeding her abilities." Lilith mentioned.

"Is that one of the Longinus?" Fubuki asked.

"Yes, specifically it's the Holy Grail once used by Jesus and searched by various Knights of the Round Table." Lucifer confirmed.

Vali's sleeping form smiled a bit, proving the effectiveness of Eve's healing.

 **("Anyways, it's been a while since we last spoke, hasn't it Lucifer? The irony of how I became linked with your daughter still surprises me.")**  Albion remarked.

The Devil King grumbled and turned his head away.

"Stop rubbing it in, will ya? I still haven't forgotten all the damage you did to my people during your mama bear moment." He warned.

 **("Ugh... should have realized you and the other Gods haven't let that go.")**  She realized.

"Mama bear moment?" Issei repeated.

"Yeah, let's just say that Ddraig and Albion did something to multiple mythologies over something that happened with a few of their children... despite all they had to do was target a single group." Lilith answered, glaring as she said the last part.

Hearing that, all of the Hyoudou Siblings raised an eyebrow at the White Dragoness, who gave a nervous laugh.

"Really, you should have been a lot more mature than that. You Heavenly Dragons are the strongest mortals in the world. Not to mention, you don't get to use that excuse about how your parents raised you." The Father of all Devils remarked.

Issei blinked at that, making Shinri tap his children's shoulders, knowing what they were about to ask.

"Lucifer means the Dragon Gods who are the strongest deities, the Heavenly Dragons were born from some of their excess energy that took a mortal form upon bonding to the shells of hatched eggs." He explained.

Homura for once showed surprise, while Issei seemed to have been the expectant ones.

"Makes sense that Dragon Gods would be the strongest if both species alone are already so powerful." He mentioned, shrugging a bit.

 **("Wow, no shock at all. That's a first.")**  Albion praised.

Sighing a bit, Lucifer's gaze moved towards the children in the room, realizing something important.

'I think the time has come, especially since it's probably the best chance to find a way a cure within the next three years... we're running out of time to save Ingvild before the virus kills her.' He thought.

Right at that moment, Vali whimpered as began to wake up.

"Oh, Vali's finally waking up. Glad to see she's OK-" Issei smiled, turning his head in her direction as he noticed.

At that very moment, the daughter of Lucifer rose her head up, causing something to happen to both of them...

They accidentally kissed, making everyone's eyes go white.

 **('3, 2, 1, and...')**  The White Dragoness counted, preparing to cut off her hearing for a moment.

Issei and Vali blushed for a moment, the screamed as they broke away.

'That was my first kiss!' Both thought in unison, still looking at the other.

'Whoa... I know I've always indirectly teased or referenced them doing something like this, but a scene like this one? I never expected something like this!' Homura thought.

Both turned away, blushing with embarrassment.

"Oh joy... this should be good." Lucifer groaned, putting his hand over his eyes.

Lilith gave an awkward laugh before rubbing her daughter's head in response.

"Hey, at least look at the bright side to this? At least you didn't have your first kiss taken by some slime ball creeper." She mentioned.

"Mom, please stop talking..." Vali begged.

The Devil Queen sweated a bit, nodding her head as she walked to the side, quickly getting the message.

"Uh... glad to see Eve's healing really helped you." Lucifer remarked, hoping to break the ice in the room.

Hearing his words, the other adults all face palmed.

"That was honestly the only thing you thought of saying just now?" Homura remarked.

"Shut up, now." Lucifer replied.

A chill went through the redhead from his words, making her immediately listen. After that, the Father of all Devils looked at his daughter before placing a hand on her shoulder, smiling a bit.

"How do you feel now that your back at 100% again?" He inquired.

"I'm... not sure, but I have a sense of relief that I didn't have before. Thank you for believing in me and letting me fight for myself." Vali answered, giving him a big smile.

Lilith smiled at that before standing on her other side.

"Glad to hear it. After all, you need to be a good big sister when your little brother or sister finally arrives." She stated.

Those words immediately made everyone else realize what the Devil Queen had been implying earlier, while Vali froze.

"Wait, did you just say..." The Lucifer Heiress gasped.

"That's right. I'm pregnant with your younger sibling, so I hope you can wait three months for them to arrive." Lilith confirmed, flashing a smile.

Fubuki had a confused look.

"Did she say three months? But I thought pregnancy took nine months?" She questioned.

"When you're Human it does. Other races have different gestation periods." Eve explained.

Issei soon giggled a bit, seeing Vali's eyes widen in excitement.

"Guess that makes my plans for a training journey work more in our favor. A good change of scenery for Lilith to give birth in, while starting training you can finally begin now that you can use your Sacred Gear." The Devil King smiled.

Hearing that, everyone looked at him.

"Did I hear you right? Did you just say... a training journey?" Vali asked, blinking a little.

"Yeah, after all... you want the strength to make your dream a reality, right?" He answered.

As he listened, Issei felt his heart sink.

"I do, so... yeah, maybe this is what I need. There's only so much I can learn here, learn from you and mom." Vali realized.

With those words, the host of Ddraig closed his eyes and started to walk away.

"Hey, why are you leaving Issei? There's no way for me to tell you how to prepare for the trip if you suddenly leave the room." Lucifer smirked.

**「** **Love Live: Muse's no Hajimari** **」**

Upon hearing those words, he turned around in surprise, with Eve and Shinri smiling in response.

"Did... you just say?" He asked, pointing at himself.

"You are the current Red Dragon Emperor, so why wouldn't we bring you along for the ride?" Lilith questioned playfully.

"Hey, you make it sound like we aren't joining you." Shinri groaned jokingly.

Issei had no idea what was going on, starting to feel overwhelmed at everything... until he felt Vali grab his hands. Looking at her, he saw her eyes tearing up.

"Please, if you don't come with me... this wouldn't feel right! You've always been telling me how much you believed in my dream! I need you by my side or what's the point of going in the first place!" She begged.

At those words, his eyes shined while he gave a silent gasp, then after a few moments... he sniffled a bit before nodding his head.

"Yeah, we're going to see the world!" Homura cheered.

"I-it'll be fun." Fubuki replied quietly, blushing a little.

Watching everyone's reactions, Lucifer smiled at the warm feeling the sight gave him. Meanwhile with his wife and Eve, they were staring at the window outside, the latter soon speaking up.

"As Shekhinah would say, the winds are finally changing... aren't they?" She stated, giggling a bit.

"Yeah, this is definitely the moment she spoke of." Lilith agreed.

"My son who is born from the world of Humanity and your daughter born from the world of the Supernatural, there's a miracle only they together can miracle." Eve smiled.

Looking at the group, the Devil Queen smiled as well.

"Though I doubt they're meant to do it by themselves, Homura and Fubuki are likely just two of many who'll have a vital role in piecing together what will be." She stated.

Eve nodded her head, also believing in that.

**「** **Insert Song End** **」**

"Guess I better make sure things are getting ready. After all, we can't really leave until Cleria's replacement as the Head of Kuoh arrives." Lucifer remarked.

"You need a hand with that? I don't mind lending you any help." Shinri asked.

"Knock yourself out Kyoto boy." The Father of all Devils joked, taking full advantage of the current mood.

As this went on, a familiar butterfly was seen.

"It's finally begun, the first page... of their story." Shekhinah thought, a silhouette of her face smiling in place of her Butterfly transformation's inability to make one.

She quickly flew off into the sky, causing Masaomi to notice her before nearly dropping his groceries.

"Am I going crazy, or did I just see Lady Shekhinah in the sky?" He asked, rubbing his eyes worriedly.

* * *

Within the Bael Territory, the sight of Rias working hard could be seen as she worked on her studies, looking somewhat fatigued by it all.

"Aw man, this is starting to get overwhelming." She breathed, fanning herself.

"Ooh, whatcha studying there?" A female voice asked, peaking over her shoulder.

Rias screamed a bit, turning around to see a girl with dark purple hair that was short with a long area tied in a braid and piercing yellow eyes as she gave her a cat-like smirk. Her current attire was a black & white hoodie.

"My god Bennia... how many times have I told you to stop doing that?" The Bael Heiress sighed.

"You didn't, that was your beau." She smirked.

Rias' eyes went white at her Second Knight's words, recalling that he  _was_  the one who told the Grim Reaper what she just claimed.

"Oh dear, is Bennia giving you a handful again?" Venelana inquired, walking into view.

Seeing her mother at the door, Rias stood up.

"Mother, do you need something?" She asked.

"Not me, but it seems that Lord Lucifer has made a request he'd like you to consider accepting." Venelana answered.

Rias blinked at that, wondering what the Devil King wanted from her.

* * *

Inside of Issei's room, the sight of him writing a letter to Irina could be seen, making sure she'd know it would be the last one they could send her for a long time.

"So, our first training location is Kyoto... never thought I'd see the place where my father was born and met mother." He said to himself, releasing a deep breath.

"Hey, big brother?" Fubuki said quietly.

Turning around, Issei saw his youngest sibling standing by the door with a nervous face.

"What is it Fubuki?" He asked.

The white-haired sibling of the Hyoudou family rubbed her arm nervously, her eyes drifting to the side as she did this.

"I'm... afraid. You and Vali, everything that happened today makes it seem like this trip is just hiding something scary is coming. I... I don't know if I can handle that." She admitted, shaking at the thought.

"You want the truth little sis? I'm scared too, more than you might believe." He admitted, closing his eyes.

Fubuki looked at her older brother in shock as he stood up.

"Despite that... it was today that I saw something that Vali's had to bear on her own for so long, even though we knew that she was a Devil. Hearing that story about the Great War just recently only showed that ignorance even further." Issei continued.

"But... if that's true, then why-" She asked.

"Because now, I know just how long Vali's been crying without me even knowing of it. Now I know just how important I really am with this power I have. Long ago I promised not to run away, me and Homura can't go back on our word." He answered, closing his eyes.

At that moment, Fubuki lowered her head... until she felt Issei hugging her from the front.

"Don't worry, we're all in this together. I'll make sure nothing happens to you. Not just that, but if anything scares you? Know that I'll blow it away." He promised.

"Issei... thank you." She replied, closing her eyes and hugging back.

Taking a deep breath, the Boosted Gear's wielder looked towards the sky, knowing that from this moment... he could only move forward and follow the path he chose to walk with alongside Vali and his family.

* * *

A few days later in Italy, the sight of Irina could be seen as she yawned from the mornings that came earlier than in Japan, tying her hair into her twin tails.

"Time for another day..." She mumbled.

"Hey Irina, you awake yet?" A female voice asked, walking into view.

The golden-haired Angel turned to see a girl that had long blue hair.

"What is it Xenovia?" Irina asked.

"Your friends already sent their next letter, I'll leave it here." Xenovia replied, placing it by the counter.

Irina showed some surprise at that.

"Wow, that was fast." She replied.

**「** **Metal Gear Solid 4: Father and Son** **」**

Reached out to grab the letter, Irina opened it and began reading it.

_"Hey there Irina, glad to have heard from you again... though I should say now that we won't be writing back for a while. By now, you're probably wondering what I mean by that, considering you just read it seconds ago. To explain the most obvious part? Lucifer's taking us all on a training journey around the world, so there may be a point we'll run into you, but I'd advise waiting a bit before you come back to visit Kuoh Town."_

As she continued reading, she started becoming engrossed in the lengthy letter she had received, slightly frowning from the contents within it.

* * *

Various Magicians were seen flying on brooms, levitation, or on top of magic circles near what looked like a guild building you'd see in most video games. Mephisto was seen stretching as he managed everything.

From a distance, the sight of a blonde female Magician with blue eyes that wore a white outfit with an ice theme and a busty figure could be seen. By her side was a male Magician that had black hair, wearing a red jacket, dark blue pants, and a pair of spectacles.

"You two be careful out there, understood?" Mephisto asked.

"Understood." They both replied, nodding their heads slightly.

Letting out a deep breath, the Devil with twin-colored hair went back to the other Magicians as the duo began walking off.

_"I have no idea if you've already learned this or not, but Lucifer says that I'm good with sharing this if the latter is true, your mom will explain it more if you ask about it. Either way... I've finally learned about the Great War, the horrible event that he was always hinting to yet never wanted to fully talk about for all those years."_

The female magician felt the wind start blowing against her hair, making her look that way.

* * *

Within the lower areas of Olympus, a boy with gray-blue hair and tanned skin was seen, with a dull look on his face and purple eyes. He wore a Gakuran uniform with a long coat over it as he sat on a rock.

It wasn't long before the sight of a young woman in a hunter attire walked into view, a bow and a quiver full of arrows on her back.

_"A horrible conflict is what it was, one that he feels he let happen, although Elohim himself seems to have some fault and blame he still thinks about on occasion in the present day. It horrible scarred the world, Lucifer even told me that both of them once shared the title of 3rd Strongest in the world... only for this conflict to permanently reduce their power to a point there's no official ranking system in the present."_

The boy just stayed where he was the woman sat with him.

"Leo, are you ready to resume training now?" She asked.

Silently standing up, he nodded her head as she readied her bow, looking towards him as his shadow began to contort from a purple aura surrounding him.

* * *

Within the Vapula Clan's territory, Sairaorg was seen training as a golden lion watched him.

_"But that's nothing compared to what limits were truly reached in this horrible battle... the continent of Pangaea split into ten pieces, just so everyone could defeat some horrible being called Trihexa, which is just as it sounds, the living form of the **Number of the Beast**  you once told me of. Yet most of all... mom told me Humanity truly was extinct for a time except for her and Jesus, who's sacrifice was mostly to give her the means of restoring their species when Elohim himself couldn't."_

As the Vapula Heir took a moment to breathe, sweat dripping down his form, the very lion grabbed a towel with his teeth.

Sairaorg saw him toss it, smiling at him as he wiped himself down.

"Thank you, Regulus. Now how about we do some sparring together?" He replied, suggesting a small duel.

 **«"As you wish, Lord Sairaorg."»**  The Lion agreed.

Rushing at one another, a huge shock wave of their clashing powers burst out.

* * *

Within Osaka Prefecture, in a place called Ryoukuu Town, the cadre known as Baraqiel was seen holding his Holy Lightning as he stood before a pair of teenagers who both had black hair.

The first was a boy with short hair, while the second was a girl with short twin tails which resembled droopy cat ears.

_"But what ended up being the most heartbreaking was I finally learned the truth behind why Vali always seemed a little sad during the time we knew her... the whole reason she moved here was because her cousin, who was also a good friend of hers, is really sick. A disease affecting Devils that leaves them comatose, and her strain is a horrible one that if not cured within the next three years? She's not going to make it, and Vali felt very guilty because of how she got it in the first place."_

Looking at them, he knelt down and put a hand on their shoulders.

"Are you two alright?" Baraqiel asked.

"Yeah... thank you." The boy answered, the girl simply hugging him close out of nervousness.

* * *

Deep in the region of Romania, a hidden castle area could be seen, with a tower showing a young male Vampire who was currently... wearing a Dress as a slightly older female Vampire tied a pink bow in his hair.

_"And all of that has slowly echoed into the now, with such an event being that a weapon tied to the Devils and the event Vali saw her cousin go comatose in came to Kuoh Town, ambushing the two of us! It took all she had, but Vali was able to make it retreat and find some closure towards her powerlessness from 5 years ago. Due to this, we have our reason to begin this training journey now."_

Looking out the window, the male Vampire paused long enough for the female to notice.

"Gasper?" She asked.

"Valerie, we should... we should run away, like Millarca did!" Gasper exclaimed, turning to look at his best friend.

Her eyes blinked at that, wondering if she heard him right.

* * *

Walking through some jungles, Adam and Kelsey pushed a few tree leaves aside as they continued their long track towards their target among the Salathavean Ruins.

"Alright, we just need to activate a series of talismans in a few sub-temples and the way should open up." The Demon Princess remarked.

"Question is which one should we wake up first? Think there's a consequence for not activating them in a certain way or even a certain order?" Her father wondered aloud, scratching his chin.

Kelsey blinked at that, deciding to take that into account.

_"I have no idea what will come next, but... I know this isn't something I can just walk away from. I'm the wielder of the Boosted Gear, that gives me an important responsibility that I need to uphold."_

Deciding to help his daughter out, Adam placed out the map and they began looking at it together.

* * *

Yuuma took a deep breath before placing some clothing in a nap sack, soon placing it over her shoulders as she turned around.

"Everything packed and ready to go?" A male voice asked.

Looking behind her, the four friends she asked to help her out came into view, showing the three girls and one boy among them.

_"I'm not going to lie about it either... I'm freaking terrified of this, a big part of me wants to run away while I still have the chance. Despite that, I'm not going to, because an even bigger part of me is sure that something's coming that will need me part of it. To just give up and try to pass it on to someone know... it won't help anyone."_

She nodded her head.

"Do we have any leads to where my sister may have gone?" Yuuma asked.

"Think we found one." The tallest girl replied.

Holding up an article, she saw evidence that Raynare's current path had taken her to none other than... Kyoto.

* * *

In a small city area, two children were seen playing together.

Around this same time, the sight of Cassiel could be seen as she began looking over what was part of the Demon's territory in the Human world, making her eyes widen as she noticed an energy.

_"Because now I know... bad things can happen, to everyone, often without any genuine or justified reason for it. That's something I can't just stand by and watch anymore, so if the power I have can lessen or maybe even stop it? I'll take it, because I don't want to experience what loss could do to me one day. Because more than anything... I want to keep moving forward."_

The Demon Queen eventually had her gaze meet those two children, making her think a bit.

'Something tells me I should have my Queen keep an eye on those two... because provided I'm right about this gut feeling, there's a strong power I feel from them.' Cassiel thought.

* * *

Back with Irina, one could see tears were falling off her face as she kept reading.

_"There's so many beautiful things waiting for all of us to see, things that some don't care about and will try destroying without any hesitation. If I'm being honest? I really miss you right now, and I wish you were here for this journey I'm about to take. Despite that... I think you'd be proud like we all were when you decided to learn about your own heritage. In a sense, we're all being brave right now in own ways."_

_"Anyways, wait until we run into you or I send you another letter. Hopefully when we next meet or talk? I have a good feeling... we'll have plenty of great stories to share with one another. That's all I have to say for now, so until then? Good luck with whatever you do next."_

Reading the last sentence, she finished by placing the letter down and silently crying the last of her tears out of her eye, right as a man with blonde hair walked into the room.

"You doing alright, Irina?" He asked.

"Y-yeah... I just... heard something heavy from a friend, yet something heavy... and brave." She answered, wiping her face with her arm.

**「** **Insert Song End** **」**

He smiled as he placed a hand on her shoulder, easing her a bit as she let the tears out.

* * *

A week later in Kuoh Town, the sight of Eve wiping her forehead could be seen, having just finished the last of the packing for her family's side of the lengthy training journey they'd be going on.

"Finally, who knew it would take 10 days to pack everything?" She asked herself.

"You're telling me? My arms feel like they melted into jelly, or is it gelatin that I'm thinking of? Either way... I don't think I'm able to feel them anymore." Her husband replied, feeling their limp wiggling.

Meanwhile on the Lucifer Household's side of thing, the Devil King was seen standing before Rias Bael.

"Glad to see you accepted the offer of being Kuoh's Head until we return and my daughter can take over." He smiled, petting her head.

"W-well... my brother is your student and diplomatic envoy, so it would have been rude to not accept." She replied.

He moved his fingers to his mouth and whistled.

Rias gasped as she saw six Devils appear through magic circles, one of them being a woman with long silver hair and silver eyes. Specifically, this Devil was the one known in books as Lucifuge Rofocale.

"Just in case we have any trouble showing up, I'll have Lucifuge, Fleurety, Sargatanas, Agaliarept, Satanachia, and Nebiros here to give you any added strength for situations you and your peerage won't be able to overcome." Lucifer reassured.

'I... I don't believe this, some of Lord Lucifer's peerage... in the flesh!' Rias thought, shaking in awe and slight nervousness.

'And now she's being a fan girl over my peerage, of course.' The Devil King thought, shaking his head as he chuckled a bit.

Vali soon waked out of her room with her luggage in tow.

"Oh, is this the Bael Heiress?" She asked, noticing Rias.

The redheaded Devil turned to see the Devil Princess herself, turning to bow to her.

"A pleasure to meet you, Princess Valiana." Rias greeted.

"Please, don't be so formal. You can just call me Vali." The silvery-white haired waved, blushing in slight embarrassment.

Right after, she bowed at Rias, surprising the Bael Heiress.

"I... I apologize about 5 years ago, what happened to your father. I still feel bad over everyone we lost that day." She apologized, closing her eyes.

"H-hey, don't do that. I did feel bad for some time after he died, but... please don't lower yourself like that over it." Rias replied, waving her arms in a panic.

"You three gonna stand there and keep things waiting?" Lilith asked.

All three of them turned to see the Devil Queen standing on the other side of the room, holding a chicken wing drizzled in ice cream and hot fudge with a cherry on it due to her pregnancy cravings.

"Right, we don't want to keep the Hyoudou's waiting for much longer. Not to mention the train might leave without us if we wait too long." Lucifer remembered.

Looking at the Bael Heiress one last time, he nodded his head as she did the same in return.

"Good luck out their boss." Lucifuge replied, winking a bit.

"We won't need any luck, but thanks for the sentiment." The Devil King chuckled, flashing a thumb's up her way.

The three all headed towards the train station, with the Hyoudou Family leaving their house at the same time.

* * *

Arriving at the station, the sight of the metro train could be seen as the two families were seen gathered around it, with Lucifer getting their tickets.

"Might be weird asking about this now, but why is Kyoto our first stop?" Homura wondered.

"Because that's where the Shinto Pantheon lives. My dad hasn't gotten permission for every location we're heading to, so we have to start with where they reside, and the Hindu Pantheon is centered because of the Christian Pantheon's good relationships with them." Vali explained.

Homura blinked in confusion, still not getting it.

"We're the strongest three Pantheons as well of the first, enough we sometimes get called the  _Three Great Powers_  by the other mythologies. Even though my father was weakened by the Great War, he's among the upper echelons of the Supernatural World when it comes to his strength as a result." She explained.

And once again, Homura showed she was still lost by tilting her head to the side.

"Elohim has a good relationship with Izanagi and Brahma, so Lucifer doesn't need to get permission from them. All he has to do is send them a heads up." Eve clarified.

"Oh..." She replied, finally getting it.

At that moment, a slight jingle played to give everyone a heads up about boarding.

**【** **"Next stop: Kyoto Station, all passengers may now board the train car."** **】**

"That's us, let's go." Lilith smiled.

Everyone boarded the train, which soon sped off towards Kyoto and the residence of the Shinto Pantheon's main deities. Fubuki looked out the window with a look of excitement.

"So, how long will it take for us to arrive?" Issei asked.

"Probably about an hour or so, give or take 15 minutes at best." Shinri answered, looking at his phone.

Vali looked at her father.

"Hey dad, how about we pass the time by telling your story?" She asked.

Lucifer hummed at that for a moment, looking at the Hyoudou Siblings.

"I did already tell you about the Great War in a short summary... alright, guess it would good for you to be aware of that story. Now listen up." He decided.

With that, the Devil King began the tell of his own love story as the train continued towards Kyoto.

* * *

**There you have it. Even though Libicocco is still on the loose, at least she technically won the battle... and gave her first kiss to Issei by complete accident! *laughs* As you can see, last chapter slightly foreshadowed the Lucifer Clan's power is they still have the light of an Angel, which they use to create the power of twilight, fitting with how one version of Lucifer has him keep his angelic powers after leaving heaven.**

**In exchange, this means Satan's bloodline (since he can sometimes be Lucifer himself) has pure darkness powers as Ruihi demonstrated. I'll say now that Connla may not show up in this story due to me using the Night Reflection's powers as part of that. If he does appear, then it won't be with his canon abilities, but that's still a bit up in the air for right now.**

**As you can see with Indra, he lacks the same villain undertones I gave him in the original. To be fair, back then he definitely seemed like a full villain to me, though he didn't really try anything to take out Issei when they last met, so I figure he was just really obnoxious. As such, despite he's a powerful God in his own right, he's basically turned the Hindu Pantheon's class clown in this story.**

**Since this next scene may imply it, let me confirm now that yes, the next few chapters will be focusing on showing us the story of Lucifer in full detail. Besides me feeling it's an important part of the story to see beyond mere flashbacks, it has scenes that will be vital to the movie when I finally post it, and I need a bit more time with setting up the things Vali and Issei will do in Kyoto.**

**Last but not least? Since we're four chapters in, which is where the original version's first arc ended, I've fixed up the last three chapters. There's not much different aside from finalizing the designs for some of our main cast (including Vali's), fixing a few errors that slipped through, and slightly expanding a scene or two. This is a one-time thing I only did since I wanted to make sure the first leg of the reboot is clean, so no worries about me doing this regularly.**

**Until next time everyone, and stay awesome! ^^**


	5. Chapter 5

**Here we are everyone, the start of the chapters covering Lucifer's backstory! I'm really excited to do this because had the reboot never happened, this would have been the first arc for S8, meaning I was already planning to show this. The only major difference that I can spoil is that Satan doesn't die in this version like the original, as you saw by the brief phone call between him and Lucifer in Chapter 3.**

**Anyways, I'd like to give a shout-out to my friend kingpariah, who inspired the name of this chapter when he mentioned that he expected me to name a chapter in reverse to the: "Virtues of Sin" name I gave to Chapter 2, since it fit this one fairly well. Another thing I'd like to say is for the cure suggestions, in the possible event two or more give me the same cure, then the winner will be the first person to suggested it.**

**There's also something I'd also like to mention about Da'ath being the True Longinus, as not everyone will be aware of why I chose this. Da'ath is considered a filtered form of Ain Soph, which represents God in the Sephirot, to allow Humanity to understand it. Essentially, I'd best describe Da'ath as the consciousness of the entire system itself, though for why he's in the True Longinus...**

**With that out of the way, I'm excited about writing this part of the story because it's the first I've ever had something in the main story shift focus away from the main character enough that they don't even appear. While it may be a first for me, it feels kind of refreshing to try it, so I'm not even nervous about it like a few cases of trying a new writing technique I'm unfamiliar with. That's confidence for you.**

**So, without further ado? Let the chapter begin!**

* * *

**()**  - Albion Talking via the Divine Dividing

 **[]**  - Ddraig Talking via the Boosted Gear

 **«»**  - Consciousness of any other Sacred Gear Talking

 **〖〗**  - Voice Speaking through a Magic Circle

 **【】**  - Voice made by an Announcement or through an Announcer

 **「」**  - Insert Song Beginning or Ending

『』 - Electrical Voice or Machine Speaking

* * *

**_Chapter 5 - Sins of Virtue_ **

The scene opened to the white lands and golden-yellow skies of Heaven, ages in the past during the era when Humanity was but a mere two beings through Adam and Lilith, with all the Angels being seen doing their jobs.

Flying across the sky, the sight of the still Angel Lucifer could be seen, his wings a golden color unlike his brethren as a testament to his status as the first of his kind.

"My senses aren't picking up anything wrong today, looks like everything's alright on the surface." He stated.

"Hey, hey Lucy! Down here!" A female voice called.

Stopping for a bit, the Great Seraph looked down to see Cassiel during her time as an Angel, her wings flapping as part of her signature way of saying hello. Doing so revealed that her wings had a teal tint at their ends, which was actually a signature difference they had from their rest of their kind.

"Oh, looks like she needs something." Lucifer remarked.

Diving down towards her, she briefly covered her face at the small gale created by his sudden landing.

"Gee, knock me over why don't you?" She questioned.

"Very funny, just as much as calling me Lucy." Lucifer replied, giving her a deadpan stare.

"Oh, come on! How can I not with how you look like a pretty boy?" Cassiel snickered.

In just a few seconds, the Angel of Perseverance found herself pinned to the floor as Lucifer gave her an angry look, making her tear up slightly.

"Alright, alright! I'm sorry I called you girly looking!" She apologized.

"You better be, now what was it you called me down here for?" He replied.

Letting go of his fellow Great Seraph, who took a moment to get herself back on her feet and dust herself up, Cassiel finally got to the point.

"Right, thought you'd like to know that Father's going to announce it today. That Adam and Lilith are to be married." She revealed.

The First Angel's eyes briefly widened at that.

"Oh, I see... they've finally become 18 now, haven't they?" Lucifer realized, sounding a bit off.

"Yeah, after today, we won't really be seeing either of them. I figured you'd like to say something to Lilith before then." Cassiel mentioned, scratching her cheek.

"And will you to Adam?" He replied.

She gave a nervous chuckle at that.

"Well that's the plan, but my brain's not agreeing with my thoughts on what I should say. Not to mention I think he's busy exploring around Eden's outer edge with Samael right now." Cassiel admitted.

"Basically, Lilith's available right now and you felt I should go first as a result." Lucifer summed things up.

Cassiel nodded her head, while Lucifer just stood there for a moment.

"You alright?" She asked, noticing this oddity in his movement.

The golden-winged Angel glared at her, making her hold up her hands as she nervously laughed and backed away before she got pinned on the ground again.

"She's right though, better take the chance to visit her." He sighed.

Lucifer transformed into a cross of light, sinking through the clouds as he transferred over to the Garden of Eden.

* * *

Sitting under a tree within the garden, the sight of a woman could be seen as a bird sat on her finger.

The woman in question was none other than Lilith wearing a plain white dress, having her formerly pure white hair and smaller bust, though still having the sapphires she called her blue eyes.

"Hey there little guy, how are you?" Lilith smiled, rubbing the bird's head.

Said avian tweeted a bit, though suddenly flew off as the sound of Lucifer's descent was heard, getting the first Human woman's attention as she saw the Great Seraph she had the closest bond with appear before her.

"Aw, hello there Lucifer, how are you?" She greeted, bowing slightly.

"Good to see you Lilith, thought I'd come over because... Cassiel says that today Elohim's plans for you and Adam are about to happen. Felt like a good idea to make a last visit to you before whatever comes next." He replied, scratching the back of his head.

This surprised her a bit, evident by her moving a hand near her mouth.

"You mean... we may never see each other again?" She asked, a clear look and sound of sadness coming off of her.

**「** **Sword Art Online: In Your Past** **」**

Lucifer didn't give a direct answer, but Lilith was known for being the wiser of the Human duo, allowing her to easily know his silence confirmed her suspicion.

"Oh, I... see." Lilith replied.

"All of us Great Seraphs knew this would happen once you both had your 18th birthdays, but it seems that I forgot this was the last week of November and therefore that Adam finally had his." He replied, looking away slightly.

She was soon left as silent as the Angel of Justice, feeling incredibly sad over that revelation. Part of her wanted to speak... yet there were no words for her to share.

The same applied to the reverse. Part of Lucifer felt something with Lilith, but they each had their roles, while he himself had no idea what his feelings actually were.

"Well, guess the only thing left at this point would be to... give you some words of advice." He decided.

"Like... what?" Lilith asked, shifting her head to the side.

Facing the other way, towards the focused glow of the blue sky that was the only place in Heaven where it shined like the Earth, he took a deep breath.

"You'll have a lot of important things to decide, things that Humanity will depend on you and Adam for. If you ever feel uncertain about anything you see... trust that. Even if not everyone agrees, letting a wrong happen will eventually eat up at you and everyone, because that wrong can leave a lot of injustice in the world. Remember this when things are uncertain, and I'm sure you'll become a great leader." Lucifer said, encouraging her.

Closing his eyes, the golden-winged Angel chose to start leaving by foot instead of flight or light travel, unable to meet her gaze.

"I... wish you luck from here... goodbye Lilith." He said softly.

"Goodbye Lucifer..." She replied back.

**「** **Insert Song End** **」**

With that, the eventual Devil Queen turned around, feeling tears come to her eyes as she let those final words of Lucifer sink in.

* * *

A few hours passed by before Adam finally met with Lilith under the tree she encountered Lucifer at earlier, noticing her looking somewhat quiet without any idea of why she seemed a bit... off.

"Something wrong?" He asked.

"No... I'm fine, you don't need to worry..." She lied, sighing shortly afterwards.

Adam blinked at that.

'Why are girls so confusing? Either that, or I'm just really bad at reading things with my eyes.' The First Man thought, looking at the sky as he thought this.

Right on cue, a huge flash of light went off, making the two jump as they saw Elohim appear from it.

Unlike his modern say self, he actually looked young instead of the drained and aged fossil that made him look like Father Time... which he technically was due to his wife's title as Mother Nature; something emphasized by his hair that shifted between the colors of the rainbow, along with a lack of the facial hair he had in the present day.

"Adam, Lilith... today is a great day. Now that it has come, I have an announcement related to both of you, so are you ready to hear it?" Elohim smiled.

"We are, Lord Elohim." Both answered.

He smiled before holding his arms out one by one, then taking a deep breath.

"As the ones that will start Humanity, the precedent you must set is a grand one, so to mark it as such? I pronounce the two of you are to be married!" He declared.

Lilith's eyes widened at that, while Adam seemed briefly surprise before he just smiled and nodded his head.

"I don't mind, she'd be a great wife." He decided, not even bothering to think any further.

"U-uh..." Lilith stuttered a bit.

"My apologies for the sudden surprise of that claim, you may have a moment to collect yourself." Elohim replied, holding his palm out.

As she stood there, the words Lucifer told her earlier flowed back into her mind.

_"If you ever feel uncertain about anything you see... trust that." His voice echoed._

Taking a deep breath, a serious expression formed on her face before she looked at her creator, and then spoke the words that would impact the future of every mythology in the world.

"Sorry, but... I can't accept." Lilith answered.

Elohim suddenly froze in place, while Adam suddenly stopped in place before looking at her and Elohim, getting a bit nervous.

"Don't misunderstand me, had this been under any other circumstance I would have accepted, but... through all my time here? I've already fallen in love with someone else. No matter how much you ask me, I can't find it in my heart to stop loving him." She explained.

"Unacceptable..." Elohim breathed.

Lilith looked at the Biblical God upon hearing that, suddenly going blue as she suddenly realized his hair had stayed on the red color his skin had also turned into.

"Sorry, but... I'm going to hide over there!" Adam chuckled fearfully.

He immediately ran off, leaving Lilith's eyes to follow him before shaking a bit as Elohim stomped the ground.

" **UNACCEPTABLE!** " He screamed, making the ground rumble.

"L-Lord Elohim?" She whimpered, backing into the tree.

"No matter how you try to justify this, you are clearly in the wrong! How dare you act as if I am by denying what right you have! At first your wisdom was something I looked aside, but it's clear you already have the knowledge you're not ready for without ever having to eat the damned fruit!" Elohim shouted, his glare like that of a stream of flowing magma.

As this was happening, Samael slipped into view, giving a silent snicker at what he was seeing.

"B-but I..." Lilith tried to say, shaking in fear.

" **SILENCE!** " Elohim screamed.

Holding a hand out, the ground suddenly cracked as various vines launched out, soon turning into cursed chains that constricted her painfully. Adam fearfully watched without any courage to do anything but keep looking, while Samael showed slight surprise to the act.

"Suffer for your own arrogance for all of eternity in chains you will never escape, because no Holy being will ever set you free!" Elohim said spitefully.

"What? No, it wasn't arrogance! I just said that-" Lilith replied in a panic.

Her chains immediately sent a painful jolt as she did this, right as they pulled her under the earth, making her give panicked screams as the ground closed up in response. The First Man could only shake at what happened while Samael smirked before he slid out of sight.

"Can't believe this... of all the things that could happen, this was one of them." The Biblical God grumbled, turning to Adam.

"Uh... just so we're clear, I'm not in trouble, right?" He asked nervously.

"No, you aren't in any trouble, but I'm going to need one of your ribs." Elohim answered, raising a hand.

His face showed a disturbed look of confusion.

"I can't just have you make Humanity, so I need to make a replacement of Lilith." He replied.

"And the rib is...?" Adam asked.

"Because that's the only thing that can grow back, not hurt you, and won't be detrimental to you while it's gone." Elohim explained.

Adam blinked and gave a nervous look, not believing that second one.

"Do it or you will be in trouble." He ordered.

"Yes sir..." Adam whimpered.

Elohim immediately reached into his stomach, phasing through it using his magic, then pulled it out... and it really was painfully.

"Whoa." The First Man blinked.

"Let's see, where's one of Lilith's hairs... aha!" Elohim wondered, spotting one.

Placing it on the rib he took, he activated his magic to give it shape, creating an identical copy of Lilith, only making her eyes green and transforming any of her intelligence into beauty.

Adam blushed a bit as he finished, making the green-eyed copy of Lilith look at him.

"Meet your new intended wife, Eve." Elohim revealed, soon giving off a smug look.

"Hi!" She smiled, waving at him.

* * *

Lucifer was seen sitting by an area of the Fifth Heaven, a somber look on his face as he just watched the clouds sit by. It was around this time a familiar face could be seen walking towards him, though with the only black on his wings being their tips.

"Yikes, that's a disturbing face to see you make. Mind telling me who peed in your cereal?" Azazel inquired.

"And I see you talk as grossly and disturbing as ever Azazel..." The First Angel answered, now glaring at him.

The Great Seraph representing Creativity laughed at that.

"My apologies for stopping your moment of brooding, just thought I'd try to help you out. What's got your underwear in a twist?" He asked.

Lucifer sighed at that.

"Adam just turned 18, so you and I both know what that means... and I'm going to miss her." He confessed.

"Should have figured, the two of you have always been close. Especially after that one time you had to protect her from that fire they accidentally started." Azazel realized, feeling embarrassed.

Which he immediately regretted saying after Lucifer went back to his somber state.

"Oops... shouldn't have said it." He said to himself, now feeling just plain awkward.

"Everyone, listen to this!"

Both of the Great Seraph lifted their heads, seeing an angel with long maroon hair flying around in circles with a wide expression on her face, the one they both knew as Camael.

Knowing this was a rare yet serious thing for her to do, they and many Angels immediately flew over.

"Oh good, everyone's here! You won't believe this gossip I just spied on while passing through Eden, because it's huge, it's a shocker, it's-!" She announced, flapping her wings tipped in dark red.

An Angel with messy honeydew-colored hair snapped her fingers in front of Camael's face.

"Get to the point already!" She stated.

"Right, sorry about that." Camael apologized, scratching her cheek.

Clearing her throat, the Angel of Prudence looked at her audience.

"Father went to Eden to tell Adam and Lilith about wanting them to marry... only for him to throw Lilith into a prison for saying she loved someone else!" She announced.

The Angels surrounding her had their eyes widened and/or gasped at that revelation, but Lucifer on the other hand just gave a heavy stare.

"Lilith actually spoke against Father?"

"Whoa, can't blame her punishment. She got what she deserved."

"Poor Adam..."

He just stood there, but to anyone who was focused in on Lucifer at that moment? One thing was perfectly clear... a certain word was hammering at every inch of his skull.

_Injustice..._

_Injustice..._

_Injustice..._

**INJUSTICE!**

'They think it's right... for Lilith to be punished... just because our  _Father_  thinks so!?' He thought, tightening his fist.

At that moment, Camael decided to continue.

"Doesn't even stop there, Father even replaced her with a copy he named Eve, so he's definitely not giving her any second chances." She stated.

"Well, I guess that means this mess is finally over." Haniel remarked.

Lucifer immediately clenched both of his fists, starting to grit his teeth as he finally felt his anger burst past its breaking point.

"Basically, you're saying that  _Father_  can't err? That he's perfect?" He inquired.

"Of course not, he's always been point on with what he does. Why would it suddenly-" Camael answered.

The Angel of Justice immediately swung his hand up, aiming it right towards one of his defining Angel traits.

*"SHATTER!"*

Every Angel in the area suddenly lost their voices as they saw glowing shards on the floor before they dulled into light gold fragments. It was none other than the broken shards of Lucifer's halo.

"Lucifer, what have you done!?" Cassiel exclaimed.

"You're all nothing but puppets following a conceited God's will! Claim it all you want, but I know what my Virtues let me sense, and you'll hear it no matter how much you choose to deny or not believe it... Elohim! Did! Wrong!" He screamed.

Hearing the First Angel use the name of their creator instead of calling him father made everyone truly go into shock, as it was taboo to them.

"You are out of line right now! Stop this nonsense, or we will-" Raziel demanded.

That sentence would never be finished as his face froze, leaving every Angel to stare in horror (the exception being Gabriel who screamed) as they saw the sight before them.

Raziel simply shook as he felt Lucifer's fist in his stomach, completely silent as the holy energy within it burned through his body.

"Gladly, because I'm done serving a God that would do something like this... as are you." He said with spite, showing no regret.

Pulling his hand back, everyone watched as the Seraph fell to the ground and dissolved away, marking Raziel was no longer part of this world. Only moments after did a few Angels start rushing at him.

"How dare you!?" They all screamed.

"Stop, don't do it!" Michael warned.

Lucifer immediately formed a giant spear of light, causing all the attacking Angels to pause as they expected to be attacked... only for him to throw it at the ground. The resulting fog that exploded from the cloud blinded everyone.

* * *

Deep within the ground making the prison Lilith was contained in, the original First Human woman was seen with her head lowered, a face full of tear stains from everything that happened to her in the recent... however long she had been in the prison for.

Not only was she miserable and suffering, the prison had somehow replaced her former dress with a bunch of ragged clothing that made her resemble a slave.

"Why did this happen to me? I just... I just wanted to be allowed to love the one my heart belongs to." Lilith cried, more tears dripping down her face like a waterfall.

*"CRASH!"*

She suddenly lifted her head in shock at the sound, looking to see what crashed into the prison.

Getting up and shaking off the dust, her eyes shined as she saw none other than Lucifer's face.

"You... you came..." She breathed, crying happy tears.

"Elohim thinks that no Angel would come and save you? Once again, I just proved that he can be wrong." He replied, smiling at her.

Flapping his golden wings, he moved nearby and then ripped the chains apart, leaving Lilith to fall into his hands in a bridal style.

"Wait... your halo..." She gasped, noticing its absence.

"Don't need it anymore, because no matter what anyone says, even if they're a God... you have no right to be a prisoner for wanting the freedom to choose who you love." Lucifer answered, giving her a reassuring smile.

Hearing that, Lilith's face briefly gasped before giving a smile filled with tears of joy.

"Now come on, the cloud fog I made won't keep the others distracted for long. This is our only chance to escape Heaven." He warned.

"You're already too late." A female voice warned.

Widening his eyes, Lucifer turned to see three of the Seraph dive into view, revealing themselves to be Sandalphon, Metatron, and Sariel who had descended into the prison.

"Ugh... should have figured the Angel of Patience or Diligence would take the challenge of going after me while the fog was still up." He stated, glaring at them.

"You killed Raziel, and now you're going to pay for it and everything else you've done!" Sariel exclaimed.

At that moment she went invisible, putting Lucifer on guard. This was proven right when thin lasers suddenly fired off from nowhere, which he barely dodged.

"W-what was that!?" Lilith asked, shaking a bit.

"Sariel's Virtue is Chastity, it lets her hide and attack without letting anyone see her. Even I can't sense her attacks until she fires them off." He explained.

"Uh oh, then... what about the other two?" She asked.

As Lucifer tried to back up and find a way out, a sudden gash caught Lilith's attention as it appeared behind him.

"Don't move any further!"

He froze right as she heard this, immediately missing an explosion from the gash he nearly hit. Sandalphon grunted as it didn't strike.

"Sandalphon can manifest and set dangerous energy traps anywhere in her vicinity. Right wrong move and we'll be in danger. As for Metatron, I'd say she's the most dangerous one of this trio..." Lucifer answered, turning to the Angel of Diligence.

Metatron's eyes flashed before her light blue aura's energy stretched out, gaining green eyes as rushing at intense speeds that Lucifer couldn't defend against. All he was able to do was close his wings around Lilith like a shield.

They immediately struck him, causing him to tumble into the wall and slam against it. Lilith saw this as his wings unfurled.

"Lucifer! Come on, get up! You can do better than this!" She cried, shaking him in worry.

"No, he can't. The consequence of him breaking his halo is finally hitting him. If only he hadn't been in Heaven when he did it." Sandalphon replied, giving a look of anger and pity.

"And you... I think Father will won't mind if we don't simply restore the chains." Metatron suggested.

Lilith paled at that, realizing what she meant by that, making her hugging Lucifer closer in response.

"You three aren't killing either of them!" Someone exclaimed.

Everyone in the room was confused at where that voice came from, only for Lucifer's shadow to suddenly fire something upward.

Sariel reappeared as she was hit, flying back before something instantly rushed without one's noticed to punch her, Sandalphon, and Metatron in the faces. All of them stumbled as Lilith showed confusion.

Lucifer soon managed to get back, albeit slightly sore from the damage he received from Metatron's attack.

"W-what's going on?" He asked, still delirious.

"No time to explain, let's get both of you out of here." The same voice answered.

Before either of them knew what was going on, they fell through the ground.

All of the Seraphs immediately saw this, but the hole they went through sealed itself immediately after, leaving them unable to follow.

"They got away..." Sariel sighed.

"Which one of us wants to tell Father about this?" Metatron asked.

Sandalphon looked at them before closing her eyes, flying upwards.

"You two try looking for clues, I'll go tell Father." Sandalphon decided.

Both Metatron and Sariel nodded, leaving the Angel of Patience to give a worried shiver at the coming talk with Elohim.

* * *

Lucifer and Lilith were seen lying on the ground in some area of Earth, blinking slightly as they regained consciousness.

"Where are we?" She asked.

"I'm not sure, other than we're on some region of Earth." He answered.

*"ROAR!"*

Both of their eyes widened as they turned around, making them see none other than Albion flying through the sky, making Lucifer's eyes widen.

"Scratch that, it looks like this is the region of Lemuria, the official home of the Dragons." He realized.

Lilith shivered at that.

"Maybe we should go somewhere else?" She suggested.

"Good idea, its best we don't stay in one spot either, otherwise the other Angels may find where we ended up." Lucifer agreed.

Both of them prepared to move away, but Lilith found her herself falling over. This caused the Angel of Justice to look at her.

"I can't feel my legs... those chains must have sapped all my strength." She realized.

Lucifer soon picked her up in a princess carry, making her blush as he spread his wings and flew, making her blush as they kept flying and flying until they got close to the area the Vampires called home.

After they arrived, he placed her down on her feet, looking at her in concern.

"You can still stand, right?" Lucifer asked.

"Don't worry, this alone is fine." Lilith reassured him.

He smiled a bit, soon feeling his own body wake up a bit.

"Looks like the hampering effect I had while in Heaven's disappearing, which means we don't have to worry about me being too weak to protect ourselves." Lucifer smiled.

**「** **Xenoblade Chronicles 2: To Tomorrow with You** **」**

At that moment, Lilith finally had a chance to let where she was and everything that happened fully sink in, making her look at the golden-winged Angel.

"Um... why?" She asked.

"What do you mean?" He asked, looking at her with a confused look.

"Everything you had and knew... you gave it up for me. Why would you sacrifice all of that for my sake? I'm just..." Lilith answered, looking to the side.

Blinking a bit, he chuckled a bit before scratching his cheek.

"May sound a bit stupid, but I've always been wondering why we were so close to one another. Though when I heard what happened to you and what you chose to say to Elohim... I finally realized that it was love." He admitted.

Her eyes widened at that, making her eyes shimmer a bit.

"Nothing will change what we've done and what we do, but I doubt either of us regret. Plus, if it hadn't been for that... this would never have happened." He continued.

Taking a moment to breathe, he then continued as rubbed the side of her face.

"I could easily be called the dumbest man in the world for this, but I don't care, as what matters now is that I'm certain of what you are to me. All I wanted and even need is you. Whatever I lost, you're worth so much more, or all I've ever wanted. That's why I won't doubt what my heart's telling me, because if someone asked me if you were all I needed to live? I'd have no doubts to that." Lucifer smiled, closing his eyes briefly as he gave a slight giggle.

"Y-you... you..." She stuttered, feeling her heart rise.

Taking his hand close, Lilith felt her left hand tighten itself slightly from his grip, then a strange weight on her one finger.

"Maybe I'm asking too much, especially since I don't know who your heart to. Lilith, will you create your own future with me? Not as the First Human Woman, but... as my wife?"

Feeling her eyes widen as tears began to form, she saw Lucifer's hand move to show a black ring on it. His eyes widened as she fell to her knees and began to fully cry.

"Lilith?" He asked worriedly.

"You... you idiot... do you still not get it?" She asked, looking at him.

His eyes widen.

"No way... are you saying that-" Lucifer realized.

"When me and Adam accidentally caused that fire in Eden, the first you did was rush in to help us. Even carrying me when I injured my leg and couldn't walk on it... after that day, I was never able to stop thinking about you, and then it became clear to me why. I love you Lucifer, and I always have, so let me stay by your side! I want to be with now forever and always!" She answered.

Despite her unsteady legs, Lilith lunged forward into Lucifer's arms, briefly reminding the latter of when she did the same after he got her child self out of that very fire.

"I promise you I will, even if I have to make the whole world my enemy? I'll always keep you by my side." He promised, crying happy tears himself.

**「** **Insert Song End** **」**

They stayed there for a few more moments, and eventually... they heard some sniffling from a third voice, making their eyes widen as they recognized it as the same one that had spoken before they somehow escaped Lilith's prison.

"Sorry, I tried to silently cry to respect the moment, but it slipped out!" They apologized.

"You're that same person who helped us, where are you?" Lucifer asked, trying to find them.

Following his question, a trailed hum followed.

"It sounds like she's a girl at the very least." Lilith noticed, recognizing their voice was quite airy.

The same hum continued on for a bit.

"Oh, for the love of! Just tell us where you are already, we're not going to bite you!" Lucifer screamed in frustration.

"Well, that's kind of the problem... I can't show myself to you, and I mean the I literal kind." The mystery girl answered.

Both of them looked confused.

"Uh... OK then, where are you exactly?" Lilith asked, looking around.

She then shifted her foot onto Lucifer's shadow, and once she did...

"OW!"

Both Lucifer and Lilith showed surprise as they saw his own shadow wiggling around in pain, or rather... something that was  _in_  his shadow!

"I think... you already know." She whimpered.

"Wait, you're in my shadow? How'd you get in there?" Lucifer asked.

"Recall what Elohim made Adam and Eve from? He did the same with you before focusing the Animus energy to make you male. I'm the leftover Anima energy he never removed. When you shattered your halo, it basically caused a mutation that made me my own being... except I'm trapped in your shadow because it was inside you." The girl answered.

Lilith hummed for a bit, soon getting an idea as she kneeled by Lucifer's shadow and reached into it. The girl within suddenly began to laugh as if she was ticklish.

"Stop, I can't take it!" She giggled.

"Hold on, using my magic, I should be able to pull you out." Lilith promised.

Finding something to grab within the shadow, she began pulling on it.

Tugging a bit more, Lucifer watched as his shadow expanded in one spot, eventually revealing a hand holding onto Lilith's before finally...

*"POP!"*

Out came someone from within the shadow, stumbling a bit as she got to her feet. Lucifer's eyes briefly begged out as he saw none other than a female version of himself standing before him, emphasized by the longer hair and generous bust she had.

"Finally!" She cheered, taking the moment to stretch out her body.

"OK, this is awkward..." He remarked, wincing a bit.

Cracking a few of her bones, the female version of Lucifer soon turned to the duo, saluting them.

"Hey there, my name's Lucifuge Rofocale, and I'm here to serve you!" She announced, kneeling to him.

Lucifer showed a bit of surprise at that.

"Uh... OK, this is even more awkward, but I guess I'll take it since we don't have anyone else to help us. Though what are you considered? An Angel like myself?" He decided.

"No, I can tell I'm lacking wings. Think a Human is the closest example to what I feel like." Lucifuge replied.

She soon felt her skin shiver, making her look in one direction.

"Is something wrong?" Lilith asked.

"They're coming for us, we need to hide!" Lucifuge exclaimed.

Hearing that, Lucifer grabbed his fiancé and spread his wings as Lucifuge dove back into his shadow (this time without being trapped) before flying off to safety.

* * *

Within the Seventh Heaven, the sight of an annoyed Elohim was seen as Shekhinah stood at his side.

Across from them was none other than Sandalphon, who's Patience was the only reason her sweating form was able to be in his presence to talk about what happened without being afraid enough to bail.

"Metatron, Sariel, and I all managed to get through the fog and spot Lucifer... but our attempts to stop him failed when an unknown third party struck us long enough to help them escape. We couldn't even follow due to something closing the escape route afterwards." She explained.

Shekhinah looked a bit sad, as while she and Elohim hadn't created the original Angel together like most of their fellow deities, the Nature Goddess still thought of him as her own son.

It was horrible to think he had done all of this just because of how angry he was over Lilith being imprisoned.

"Basically, what you're telling me is that our strongest Angel has gone rogue, broken his halo yet was able to get away despite the weakening effect it should have gave him, then freed Lilith from her imprisonment with a third and unknown person?" Elohim summarized.

"Yes Father, that's pretty much it." Sandalphon confirmed.

He slammed his on one of the arms to his throne, making Sandalphon audibly gulp out of nervousness.

"I can definitely confirm how breaking his halo explains this. By doing that, the anime that I could never take out without killing him must have mutated from the sudden shift in his genetic makeup and gained its own form. You were attacked by someone who would have been in a state not unlike Sariel's ability to hide from view." He explained.

"Uh... honey, maybe we should just let Lucifer go? It seems like he and Lilith simply chose to go off on their own and live their lives? We can always have a new Great Seraph take over. Not only that, but Eve genuinely loves Adam in return." Shekhinah suggested.

Thinking on it a bit, he sighed before crossing his arms.

"Yes, it's clear Lucifer will not return to us, while Lilith has no great power of her own... Raziel's murder is something I'd like to punish him for, but perhaps he's already given him that by forcing those three to survive on their own." He reluctantly agreed.

"So, what do we do about Lucifer and Raziel's vacant spots?" Sandalphon asked.

"Hmm... we can't just suddenly promote anyone into Raziel's place, that will be too hard. I think it's best that I promote those who chased Lucifer into the prison as the newest Great Seraphs." Elohim decided.

The Angel of Patience's eyes widened at that, pointing at herself.

"You took great risk where everyone else waited, dedication like that is the best replacement we could get to losing Lucifer." He smiled.

"Thank you, Father. I shall let them know at once." She promised, bowing in response.

Right as she headed off, Metatron ran into her at the same time, making them briefly collide with one another. Both Elohim and Shekhinah winced a bit as they shook it off.

"Father, we have a small problem... Eve keeps forgetting which Trees you told her not to eat." Metatron stated.

The Biblical God groaned as he face palmed himself.

"You know what? Just force Samael to stay in the Tree of Knowledge, it'll remind her the Tree of Life's nearby yet not immediately next to it." He suggested.

"Got it!" She saluted.

"Oh! Metatron, you don't believe what Father just told me!" Sandalphon exclaimed.

They walked out as she whispered it to her ear.

* * *

Ages went by since the day Lucifer and Lilith fled Heaven, with various events having happened between now and then.

First of all, shortly after Samael had been moved into the Tree of Knowledge, he tried his scheme to make Adam and Eve take a bite from the Fruits of Knowledge... only for Eve's own naivety to mess that up. He was quickly punished by a horrible curse that made him suffer, eventually being given to Hades to keep locked forever within the frozen prison of Cocytus.

Without Adam to start Humanity and letting Eve go due to her broken heart, they were forced to make Humanity by creating the Holy Mother Mary, having them be a surrogate for his and Shekhinah's own child. Through the birth of Jesus, they were successful in starting Humanity.

Shekhinah had already created the initial stages of the Greek Pantheon through the birth of Ouranos and the Protogenoi, but they chose to step down after using the essences of their power to create their land and the echoes that other mythologies would follow from. Their successors would be the Titans, led by Ouranos' son Cronus and his daughter Rhea.

Everything looked fine across the world from an obvious view, or at least Elohim's up in the Seventh Heaven. As for Lucifer, Lilith, and Lucifuge... they had no idea if they were still being hunted, so they had been doing nothing but running away throughout the very ages. Only able to help one another, having no one else they could clearly trust.

Worst of all... Lucifer and Lilith were both left without any means to finally have their wedding. Although, none of them knew things would be changing soon enough, with a single action that would change the world.

This would all start one day within an area of the forest, where the trio was seen trudging... right as Lucifer collapsed on the ground.

"Lucifer! Lucifer! Please, wake up!" Lilith panicked.

"He's been pushing himself more than the rest of us, and we all haven't had any food for days. We need to feed him and soon." Lucifuge realized.

Suddenly, both of them heard something rustling in the bushes, making the both of start to panic.

"Crap, we need to move him quick!" They said in unison.

Both of them tried to pick up Lucifer, but they were both quickly stopped by the sound of their stomachs rumbling, reminding them of their own hunger as they both slumped onto the ground.

Right as did, the sound got even closer to them, making the female duo silently panic.

"I swear that I heard something around here, but where is it?" A female voice thought loud, walking into the area.

At that moment, they a Human girl with long blue hair.

"Huh? Oh my, are you three all alright?" She asked, running closer towards the trio.

"Uh... yeah, but we're all starving." Lilith admitted, blushing a bit.

Once again, the sound of rumbling stomachs was heard going off from all three of them, which somehow woke Lucifer back into a conscious state.

"No worries, I've got some food to spare." The blue-haired girl smiled.

* * *

Back in a small cave that had been quite admirably fashioned into a house, the trio was seen gobbling a bunch of stew made from various forest ingredients. It wasn't some gourmet, but the trio was so hungry they had been willing to down bland paste without complaint.

"We'd be in trouble had you not helped us when you did, so thanks for the food... oh yeah, we never got your name, did we?" Lucifer stated.

"Right, my bad. My name's Tsufaame." She introduced.

Pouring herself some of the stew, she quickly downed it... clearly showing it was forced by a slight twitch in her right eye.

"Never thought I'd see the traitor of Heaven in such a state in my house." Tsufaame stated.

All three of the trio froze at that moment, panicking as if they just walked into a trap. The blue-haired girl quickly chuckled as she turned towards them.

"Relax, there's no reason I'd ever let that living kaleidoscope know about you... not with how he's the reason I'm in this crappy lifestyle." She stated.

"Hold on a second, you  _hate_  Elohim?" Lucifer questioned.

"Of course I hate that bastard! He makes it sounds like all of us Humans are living the dream... baloney! I was living in the worst conditions and was stuck in them! No one bothers to rise higher, they stay where they are, and its clear people hate it... yet they do nothing!" Tsufaame screamed.

They all stared at her as she began panting heavily, turning towards them.

"Worst of all? This cave is considered better living conditions than where I used to be, and yet it's the very limit of what I can reach for... otherwise Elohim's going to send people down to  _correct_  the problem which sent them over." She sighed, looking to the side.

Lucifer's eyes widened at this, feeling a certain word was hammering through his skull for the first time in nearly forever.

_Injustice..._

_Injustice..._

_Injustice..._

**INJUSTICE!**

However, unlike every other instance he'd ever had with it in his entire life? This one literally burned through his veins, bones, muscles... it was if the entire world itself was ebbing with the feeling.

"Tsufaame, is there a way for you to show us a visual of everything you're talking about?" Lucifer asked.

"Well... actually, think this might be close enough to work." She mentioned.

Raising her hands up, she used magic to manipulate the liquid of the stew to create a visual sphere of sorts for the trio to look through. The flashes that went by were... less than ideal.

Like Tsufaame had set, everyone looked to be set where they were and stuck there. Worse was the clear suffering and most of all... the fact that Elohim dared to call this something ideal from the sight, because even Lucifuge and Lilith were horrified by it.

"I can't believe that... he had the gall to claim this is what Humanity should be like! No, that the world should be like! He doesn't even rule the entire thing!" Lucifer seethed.

"We can't let this go on, but... how can we stop him when he's been after us ever since you fled Heaven?" Lucifuge agreed.

"No, he actually hasn't." Tsufaame mentioned.

The trio froze a bit before moving to look at her.

"Don't ask me why as I don't know the reason, but 'm guessing you three were such a small minority in threat to him that all anyone knows about you is you betrayed Heaven, which is why I knew you had to be the real hero here. Someone who clearly said he wasn't in the right." She explained.

"You have no idea what he did to Lilith then, because you are absolute right." Lucifer confirmed.

Tsufaame paused for a moment, looking at Eve's predecessor... then getting an idea that she was sure the Angel of Justice would follow.

"So, does that mean you believe in freedom?" She asked.

"Define what you'd mean by it in this case." He inquired.

"The most basic and important meaning behind it. People having a choice, not being forced into one road without any means to escape it, not being forced to be... complete and absolute pure saints!" Tsufaame exclaimed.

Hearing all of that, Lucifer thought back to when he saved Lilith and everything that had meant, the suffering he was forced to endure yet without feeling any regrets.

It was an act of complete selfishness, but it was one that made the woman he loved happy. One that gave Lucifuge her own life when she had none, one that caused him to finally realize his own feelings... and that was exactly what Elohim always seemed to refuse letting anyone else do.

'No one's doing things for themselves, but I chose to... Lilith chose to... and even Tsufaame's trying to do so! This can't be wrong! But I know Elohim will never accept this, so if that's the case...' He decided, focusing his expression.

Lucifer took everyone's hand, surprising them a bit.

"If Elohim's light is putting the world in this state, then I'll be the shadow that gives it freedom! I'll oppose him with everything I have and make him regret ever thinking my threat was of no concern!" He decided.

Both of his female companions blinked before looking at each other, with Lucifuge smirking.

"Count me in!" She exclaimed.

"Uh... well, I did promise I'd always be at your side. I won't break that promise now." Lilith decided, smiling at the end.

Tsufaame blinked before chuckling a bit.

"Sounds like you've got some kind of plan. Got room for one more in this?" She asked.

Lucifer grinned at that.

"Of course, but... if you're going to join us, how about we spite Elohim a bit more than just my idea? I think we should give you a new name. No, a name that was a suggestion of mine he shot down." He suggested.

Tsufaame blinked a bit.

"Hmm... you know what? Go ahead, I could always give my old name to any daughter I have when this is all said and down." She agreed.

"Alright then. Since it looks like you do best with water magic, how does Leviathan sound? It was my idea for a terrifying giant sea creature that he decided to call a Mosasaur." Lucifer offered.

"Leviathan... you know what? I like it, rolls off the tongue." She agreed, settling her new name.

The Angel of Justice gave a silent cheer.

"First thing's first, might be a good idea for me to get you some new threads while you suggest a good strategy for what we're going to be doing." Leviathan suggested.

All three of them looked at their tattered clothing.

"Good point." Lilith agreed, blushing in embarrassment.

With that said, the team's newest member rushed out to go get them their new clothing while the others formed their plan and finished filling their empty bellies.

* * *

Leviathan soon came back with everyone's new threads, also helping them a few non-clothing fixes to their appearances so it was even less obvious who they were.

"Alright, there we go." She panted, rubbing her forehead.

Lucifer was now wearing a dark green V-neck shirt with a high-collared black leather jacket over it, burgundy jeans with a silver chain drooping down over them, black leather chaps with three bands encircling his right calf, and black shoes with black buckles.

Lucifuge was now wearing a black coat-like shirt with gold outlines and two yellow stripes going vertically down from her collar to the bottom that showed off her navel, a blue skirt with a few white stripes making a lowercase Y shape on them, a teal-green scarf mostly tied on her left side, and some dark brown boots.

Lilith was wearing something not unlike her usual outfit in the modern day, only it focused on lighter colors to reflect her hair hadn't turned black just yet. However, what was exactly the same as her modern day's outfit? She had the same red scrunchy she wore in the present.

"Seems unfair you didn't get anything new when you just joined our group." Lucifuge mentioned.

"Who says I didn't?" Leviathan smirked.

Grabbing her current outfit, she immediately pulled it off and showed her own new outfit underneath. It was a light blue shirt with a double layered sleeve that had the under layer as normal blue, with a white poncho over it and gray khaki jeans with matching boots.

"Now that's matching your element." Lucifer praised.

"Gotta fit my new name after all." Leviathan smiled with a smug look on her face, rubbing her nose.

When that was over, she walked by the trio.

"So, what's the plan exactly?" The blue-haired woman inquired.

"Well... based on how I've noticed selfishness is tied to go against the virtues? I figure our best bet is to gather a group of those who are bold enough to exemplify it through the one thing that opposes a virtue. In other words, a sin." Lucifer explained.

"Looks good so far, so any particular sins?" Leviathan asked.

"As of right now, there's Lilith's Desire that started this, while we have Lucifuge's Deceit since she did just that to punch Sariel in the face." He recalled.

Hearing about that memory, the female counterpart of Lucifer snickered a little.

"I'm obviously one myself, but... I have no idea which one counts. I do know you've got the perfect signs of Envy though." The Angel continued.

"Envy? What's that supposed to be?" Leviathan questioned.

"Remember your outburst at how crap your living situation was?" Lucifer answered with a follow up question.

She hummed at that, nodding her head.

"Alright then, if Envy's my best sin, you've got it at your disposal." Leviathan agreed.

"Now we need at least five others to join us, but the question is what sins are on the same level as yours and mine?" He wondered, scratching his head.

Leviathan took a moment to think before snapping her finger.

"Wrath, Sloth, Greed, Gluttony and Lust should do the trick. A lot of the things Elohim doesn't allow us to do is let ourselves get angry, stop working at all, hoard items or money, overeat even when things are wasteful, and have too much marital pleasure." She suggested.

That last one made Lilith gasp.

"Alright, then we've got our sins. Now it's time to gather us all together!" Lucifer announced.

Each of the girls smiled at they looked at their confident leader, and walked out of the cave.

_"With that day, my story truly began for the first time. In my choice to introduce freedom to Humanity and stop Elohim's foolishness from destroying them and the rest of the Supernatural World, it created a storm of chaos that would endanger so many lives, but... even more would be save, including those swallowed within that chaotic maelstrom. Just as I saved Lilith, this was a task I had to do... for I was the Angel of Justice meant to right the injustices of the world."_

Taking their first step outside as a group, their adventure finally began.

* * *

**And there it is, how Lucifer's adventure began. An adventure that would echo to the future and his help create his own daughter's story. He was not afraid to do what he knew was right due to the original power his Virtue gave him, enough that he struck down Raziel to prove it, which is also meant to explain why he isn't among the Shinou despite being one of the Seven Angels with Brave Saints in the future.**

**There were also a few nods to the present day. One of my personal favorites being that Leviathan actually did give one of her children her original name, as well as Lucifer and Lilith talking about their wedding day with all their friends. For a more direct one, now you know why Lucifuge was described as a female version of the Devil King, because she's his Anima energy.**

**For anyone curious to why Lilith and Adam's birthdays don't match up? While they were created at the same time, Elohim decided to make their birthdays (September 15 for Lilith and November 28 for Adam) based on the days tied to Virgo and Sagittarius, fitting how Lilith is a woman and Adam often explores dangerous ruins like how hunters may sometimes have to follow a dangerous creature to keep themselves fed.**

**Vali and Issei also have birthdays with a similar theme to them, but I'll withhold sharing theirs until Issei can finally use Ddraig's power since it may be a spoiler to some. Though I can say that Eve's birthday is on August 25, fitting the same thing as Lilith, but being early in the Virgo period to represent her initial naivete before Samael tried to make her eat the Fruit of Knowledge.**

**Until next time everyone, and stay awesome! ^^**


	6. Chapter 6

**And we're back with the next part to Lucifer's backstory! They're starting their search for people who best represent the other Deadly Sins, while Lucifer also tries to figure out what his is, though with the great risk of catching Elohim's attention... something that will be trouble since none of them know how much Heaven's truly grown in the ages since the future Devil King and Devil Queen fled from it.**

**The only hard part about writing this arc is that I have to make Elohim and the Angels look like the bad guys, when the latter are only following the former, who's acting not unlike what Indra told Azazel... which is kind of funny since that kind of implies this might be instinctive for the Gods of most mythologies. At the very least, we know he's been atoning for that in the present day.**

**Oh, something that I forgot to mention in last chapter? The reason why Lucifuge has the appearance of Grayfia during her day off is because in this fanfic, they're actually the same person. I did initially consider having Grayfia as her child, but it didn't feel right to weaken her when she's at least 500 years old in canon. The benefit here is she's even stronger in this story, and she does use her canon name under certain circumstances.**

**In fact, this chapter will show one of them due to which Maou is among the first the group will find on their journey. Also, I know at least one reviewer was excited over learning the origins of the other Pantheons, so we'll also be getting a bit of world building in both the where and the who. Since there's five Maou for our group to find, we've got plenty of ground to cover for this story's version of the DxD world.**

**So, without further ado? Let the chapter begin!**

* * *

**()**  - Albion Talking via the Divine Dividing

 **[]**  - Ddraig Talking via the Boosted Gear

 **«»**  - Consciousness of any other Sacred Gear Talking

 **〖〗**  - Voice Speaking through a Magic Circle

 **【】**  - Voice made by an Announcement or through an Announcer

 **「」**  - Insert Song Beginning or Ending

『』 - Electrical Voice or Machine Speaking

* * *

**_Chapter 6 - Dark Riches_ **

Finally getting through the forest, the group of four stood before a vast stretch with a majority of itself submerged in water at various deaths, with the one thing in common between the various pools being the fact it was all ocean water.

"Now that we're not nearly keeled over from hunger, I can really appreciate the beauty of Atlantis's landscape." Lucifer remarked.

"Yeah, it's... kind of why I decided to live out here. A view like this is often the one thing that helps keep me from giving in to all of the pressures my own envies made me feel." Leviathan agreed.

Right at that moment, the water sprayed up into the air as a Jaekelopterus lunged at them.

"Except when those appear!" She screamed.

As it was about to skewer them, Lucifuge sped forward and smashed her fist into its fist, making it tumble backwards near the water. Giving an angry sound, it backed up and submerged herself into the water.

"Those things are as annoying as they are dangerous... surprised we don't just call them sea scorpions." Lucifer remarked.

"Yeah, but the good news is I do have one friend here that watches my back." Leviathan smiled.

Before anyone could even ask who that was, a slight rumble was heard from the ground as something else rose from the water, making them all watch as they saw a giant Eastern Dragon rose from the water, one with a fish-like appearance to it.

"You're friends with a... holy crap!" Lilith breathed.

The Dragon looked Leviathan, lowering its head as she walked closer and pet his head, making him smile a bit.

"Tsufaame, who are these people?" He asked.

"Actually, my name's Leviathan now, and this just happens to be Lucifer and his friends. We're about to change this world together." She answered.

Raising an eye, the Dragon looked interested.

"I see. Friends of Tsufaame... or I guess Leviathan as just stated, my name is Suichanus. But you may call me Suichi if that is too difficult." He greeted.

"Suichi and I met he barely survived getting attacked by some powerful flames. While normally a Dragon like him could shrug them off, these somehow began burning into his soul... had my magic not intervened, then he'd have suffered a permanent death." Leviathan explained.

All of them gasped upon hearing that.

Dragons were the only species on equal footing with Gods for their ability to undo their own deaths as long as their souls stayed intact, something that was incredibly hard to as only the Grim Reapers had the means to freely do so... but not the strength.

"Just what could do that to you?" Lilith asked.

"The irony was it this fire hit me by complete accident, because they were unleashed by one of two Dragons who've been fighting each other in a friendly rivalry for ages." Suichi explained.

"Hmm... strange, what kind of Dragon would have fire like that?" Lucifer wondered.

Leviathan's eyes widened.

"Not sure if I'm asking too much of you Suichi, but... do you think you could give us a ride as we search for our potential allies?" She inquired.

"Travel around for a little fun, eh? Hop on my back and let's fly!" He smirked.

Diving back under before stretching out horizontally onto land, Leviathan jumped near his neck area.

"Come on guys, we've got a new ride!" She exclaimed.

"She was definitely a first good choice of an ally." Lucifer smirked, flapping his wings to land on Suichi's back.

Lucifuge and Lilith soon climbed on themselves.

*"ROAR!"*

Everything that heard the sound ran off, giving them a clear sky for takeoff.

As they flew, Lilith took a moment to see everything from Suichi's backside, including a flock of Pterodactyls that were flying towards the mountains of Mu, eventually crossing over the fertile greenery of Lemuria.

"You've never really gotten to experience the world that you were meant to lead Humanity on, have you?" Lucifuge smiled, looking at her.

"It's so beautiful, enough that realizes the current state of Humanity scares me how much beauty will eventually be destroyed if we don't stop the path my species is currently heading towards." She admitted, looking a bit sad.

Lucifer stretched one of his wings back, using it to rub caress her face like it was one of his hands.

"Don't worry, I know we can do it." He reassured her.

"Yeah... we can do it, so let's not doubt ourselves now!" Lilith agreed, nodding her head.

Suichi's one briefly looked behind him.

"Tell me, do you have any recommendations for where your first stop will be?" He asked.

"We're looking for certain humans that are willing to go against the usual status quo Elohim's forced on us. Specifically, those showing powerful senses of Wrath, Sloth, Greed, Gluttony, and Lust to the point they either don't care about breaking the rules or hiding outside of public areas like I am." Leviathan explained.

Humming for a moment, Suichi raised an eye.

"I think there's two people I know of that fit that quota. One in Europe that's within the Norse Gods' territory, and another in Asia where the Hindu Gods live, ones that I'm sure fit Greed and Wrath respectively." The Water Dragon mentioned.

"We're flying over Lemuria right now, so visiting Europe first and Asia second seems like the ideal order." Lucifer decided.

"Alright then, hang on tight!" Suichi warned.

Leviathan's eyes widened as she grabbed him with her entire body, making everyone follow as he twirled in a spiral motion to move quickly. After an hour and a half of flight, they found themselves within the skies of Europe, with Suichi slowing down a bit.

"We'll have to continue the trek on foot. If I fly around their territory all willy frilly, they may mark me as a threat." He warned.

"Hate to say it, but you're right. Especially if they spot me or Lilith on your back." Lucifer agreed.

"Then it's best I scout ahead. They know you have another ally in me, but they still don't know what I look like if Leviathan's right about him never bothering to keep an eye on us." Lucifuge suggested.

Nodding his head, the Golden-winged Angel pointed to a certain area.

"Land over there." He requested.

"Right." Suichi nodded, moving towards it.

Landing on the ground, his body glowed before he took a small form that wrapped around Leviathan's neck like a scarf.

"Alright, start scouting ahead." Lucifer stated, looking at Lucifuge.

"Right." She nodded.

Motioning her hands in a certain way, she suddenly caused her shadow to spiral around her before she flashed out of view. However, her shadow still remained, only now her red eyes were representing by two glowing dots.

"D-did she just!?" Leviathan gasped.

"Lucifuge was trapped within my shadow after shattering my halo gave her life, and could still link to it for some time after that. Eventually she learned how to manipulate shadows and the refractive properties of light for uses in stealth and deception." Lucifer explained.

"So, she's basically a magical ninja?" Suichi remarked.

The Angel nodded his head, with Lucifuge's shadow quickly darting around the area to scout for information.

* * *

Within the area of Asgard, the sight of a young Odin could be seen, his beard only a short cleft of hair compared to the long wall it was in the present day. Said hair of his was the same white-golden color of his son Vidar, while the biggest surprise of all?

His left eye had no monocle over it, showing it was a golden color with many rings around that almost gave it a focus lens appearance. That very eye was currently dilating a bit as it released a bright glow, representing it gathering knowledge from its all-knowing nature.

"Interesting..." Odin said quietly.

"Father, what has caught your attention?" Thor asked, walking closer.

"It looks like Elohim's been keeping something from us. Keep an eye out around the area for anything strange." He answered, making a serious face.

Nodding his head, the Norse God of Lightning walked off.

Right as he did, the sight of a Goddess with long hair of a light blue and closed eyes was seen popping from the ceiling, wearing an outfit that some people would claim resembled a Jester's uniform.

"Hmm... sounds like something interesting for me to interfere with." The woman giggled, slipping herself out of view.

Odin briefly turned around after noticing something, but turned it back after failing to notice the elephant in the room.

* * *

Lucifer's group was seen waiting in place as they played a bit of Poker to pass the time.

"Full House." Leviathan smirked, holding up her hand.

"Hmm... Four of a Kind." Lilith smiled, holding her hand.

Leviathan's eyes widened as she looked closely, starting to mutter a string of curses at that sneaky hand, while for Lucifer...

"I fold." He stated, placing his mix-matched hand down.

Right at that moment, they saw Lucifuge's shadow rush back into the area, re-materializing into her form.

"So, any luck?" Lucifer asked.

"None at all... I couldn't find any trace of someone that fits the sin of Greed no matter where I looked in the public areas. There was no hidden area that I managed to spot either." She sighed, shaking her head.

"Guess we can't have ourselves scout safely here. We'll have to dangerously search as a group." He replied as he stood up.

The sound of snickering immediately caught the group's attention.

"Or, you could get a little help from someone who actually loves causing trouble for the apparently omniscient all father." Her voice answered.

Puffing into view at that very moment, everyone looked at the nearby tree to show none other than the same woman who overhead Odin.

"Crap, she must have spotted me!" Lucifuge sweated.

"That I did sweetie, but I don't think you have to worry about what I'll do to you. After all..." She answered.

Opening one of her eyes, the group saw the unique shape of her Amber eyes, which looked like a permanent glare.

"I am Loki, the Norse God of Mischief." She revealed.

All of them widened her eyes at the fact they were before one of the Norse Deities, while Lucifer showed a little more notice at the luck they had. Despite being thrown out of Heaven, the one thing he kept up with was the new mythologies that had been popping up, so he was no stranger to the origins for the Gods of the Norse Pantheon.

During one of the instances where the Protogenoi made their Titan children, specifically the one that made Iapetus, they had been in Europe for the preparations. During that time, they had been attacked by a Dragon who claimed they were in his territory. Not only had this battle left Iapetus as the Titan of Mortality, but it caused some of the godly energy that made him to be spread across the Scandinavian area.

With that, the Aesir were born into the world, giving birth to the Norse Pantheon, led by Odin and his magical left eye that had the power to see the future. In the current day however, there was one Goddess in the group that was known for her love of causing trouble.

"Stand down everyone, if it's Loki we're standing before, then she'll help us more if it causes Odin some kind of trouble... though what if I told you what we're intending gives Elohim more of a headache?" Lucifer stated, holding a hand up.

"Ooh, tell me more and I'll help you out with anything you'd like me to... while you're in our territory at least." Loki inquired.

"Humanity is heading down a dark spiral and we're trying to help it, because I want him to know he can be wrong. Even if it means I have to show him in the form of having direct opposition against the one he viewed as not worth dealing with." Lucifer answered.

Raising an eye slightly, Loki levitated as she moved closer, soon looking at him from above... while upside down (to Leviathan's surprise) even at one point.

"Wait a second... of course, you're Lucifer, the rogue Angel!" She realized, snapping her fingers.

"Uh... yeah, guess I am." He answered, feeling a bit uncomfortable.

Clapping her hands twice, she popped from her current spot into another. Hovering in the air like she was resting on a hammock.

"Alright, let me know what you're doing here specifically, and I'll help make a little... distraction for you." Loki giggled in excitement.

"We're looking for someone here that's greedy." Lilith explained.

"So, you want a greedy ally? Lucky for you, I just happened to know where you can find the guy your looking for." The Goddess of Mischief replied.

Putting her fingers to her mouth, she blew a bubble that started glowing.

"Just follow this little popper around and you'll know where to go. For now? I think it's time I give my grandchildren a little wake up call." She explained, tossing the bubble away.

"Uh... guess we should say thanks for the help?" Leviathan replied, scratching the back of her head.

"I don't think you should jump the gun. After all, I'm not completely helping you as much as I want to have some fun, so don't blame me if one day I end... turn against you." The Goddess warned, winking a bit.

The group all shivered a bit, though Lucifer didn't show any reaction due to knowing that Loki wasn't exactly the most loyal deity.

"Come on, let's follow this bubble before she changes her mind." He stated, walking ahead.

"Uh... yeah, let's do that." Lucifuge agreed.

All of them quickly left the area, while the Mischief Goddess soon blew a loud whistling sound.

Hearing the noise, a pair of wolves soon walked into view.

"Hati, Skoll? Let's cause a little havoc today." She smirked.

Both of them howled before they rushed into the main area of the Norse Pantheon, getting the attention of the Valkyries as they did.

"Sound the alarm! Hati and Skoll are on the loose!" Gondul ordered.

"Right!" The Valkyries answered.

All of them flew around to initiate the alarm, with Loki watching excitedly from a high place.

"Let's see how things will go from here." She said, followed by a giggle.

* * *

Trudging through the forest, the group followed Loki's sphere of light to find the person they were looking for.

"Loki makes me nervous, how serious was she about possibly betraying us?" She asked.

"I have a feeling Lucifer is already fairly certain, mind sharing?" Suichi asked, looking at him.

The Angel of Justice sighed a bit.

"Unfortunately, despite how much I hate admitting this... Elohim's way of acting isn't too untypical of a God, it's just a case worsened by his lack of failures blinding him. It seems like it's in a God's nature to spout out stupid ideals while doing whatever they please. Loki's actions fit that description." He verified.

Leviathan felt herself shaking.

"Though I wouldn't fear too much. Elohim's ranked highest among the Gods, so if we our strength manages to match his own? I doubt Loki will be too in a hurry to betray someone she knows is too familiar with her." Lucifer reassured her.

"But we should still try to hurry before she attacks us before we achieve that. In a sense, we have to consider ourselves on a time limit." Lucifuge warned them.

"Fair point, so let's hurry and find our third sin." He agreed, nodding his head.

The light bubble began to flash even more, getting the group's attention as they neared a rocky area... which somehow had crystals on one small area of its surface.

"Crystals?" Suichi stated, looking confused.

"Hold on, let me check something..." Lucifer replied, walking forward.

Standing before the crystals, the golden-winged Angel looked closely.

After noticing something, he stepped back and blasted some light through, it and once he did... he saw it didn't bounce off, just kept going forward until it hit a wall!

"This isn't a sheet of crystals covering a wall of rock, it's a wall of diamonds hiding the mouth of a cave!" Lucifer exclaimed.

"Of course, that's how they must be hiding. Someone greedy would need something as strong as diamonds to keep everyone away from what they're hoarding." Lucifuge realized.

She put her hands on everyone.

"But thanks to my powers, now that we know where our third sin is... I can slip us right through it." She smirked.

Leviathan took a deep breath, knowing this was going to feel weird for her.

They all sunk into Lucifuge's shadow, letting them slip under the diamond wall with little effort before they all rose back up, covering their eyes from a blinding light.

"Whoa! What is that bright light!?" Lilith asked.

"It seems like the glimmer of gold to me. There's so much of it here that it's all shining off each other through the little light that's in here, we need to dim it." Suichi answered, stretching his head out.

"Let me handle that part." Lucifuge suggested.

Swirling her hand around, the refractive properties of the light dimmed down to a manageable level for the group to regain their sight.

"Hey, who's messing with my gold's glow!?" A male voice questioned.

The group turned as the saw a silhouette walking into view, the silhouette of the one who represent the sin of Greed.

* * *

Gondul and the Valkyries fired all of the magical blasts they could against Hati and Skoll, but the two wolves showed incredible resilience despite they couldn't handle the blows as well as their dad could.

"Keep it up, don't let them through!" She shouted.

Loki laughed at the show while eating a bag of Swedish meatballs, excited over the chaos she had created.

"Just like every other time I make some chaos that I'll likely be punished for? Worth it!" Loki exclaimed.

"You won't be saying that for long!" Thor roared.

Turning around, the Goddess of Mischief saw the God of Thunder behind her, wielding Mjolnir in both hands.

"Ah, well if it isn't the big thunder himself." She smirked.

Pulling out a few juggling pins at that moment, she began spinning them around.

"I may not know what your reason for this is, but you will face the consequences of it now!" He announced, raising his hammer up.

Thunder roared before lightning struck his hammer, making it spark as he swung it down for a major swing against the ground.

"Nothing under my hat, except for maybe..." Loki chuckled.

Removing her jester hat, the juggling pins fell in as the attack hit, which caused multiples of her to rush out of the smoke and cause Thor's eyes to widen.

"Think you can find the real me?" She asked, her voice echoing from each copy.

"Damn you, Loki!" Thor screamed, making thunder as he stomped the ground.

He soon turned into lightning and went to chase after her, unaware that the real Loki rose up from behind a rock as he chased mere afterimages.

"Sucker!" Loki whispered.

* * *

Lucifer's group kept their eyes focused as they saw someone walk into view, showing a boy with gold hair and some golden bling across his clothing in the form of a few rings, a chain necklace, and a gem encrusted belt buckle.

His outfit was a black shirt with long sleeves made of silk, a silver vest made of velvet, and brown khaki jeans made of the finest cloth that gave them a bronze color to them. Glaring at the group, his platinum-colored eyes showed clear distrust and anger at the group.

"I didn't hear anyone break down my wall, you must have been very clever to achieve that... but now I'm going to make sure you stay here forever like my treasure!" He shouted.

Throwing out his hand to do something, he was immediately frozen in fear as a giant lance of light nearly pierced his neck. Looking up slowly, his eyes widened as he Lucifer's gold wings spread out to emphasize who he was.

"N-no way... you're Lucifer, the Rogue Angel of Heaven!?" The gold-haired boy gasped.

"That I am." Lucifer confirmed.

Feeling his legs shake a bit, the boy slumped onto them as he realized he was already way out of his league in a fight between them.

"Damn, guess you came here knowing I'd have the money you need to survive... fine, just promise to leave some of it behind and you can have as much as you need. I can be reasonable." The boy nervously replied.

Lucifer shook his head.

"It isn't your wealth here that interests me... but you, the person whose greed managed to gather all of it." He answered.

"Huh?" The gold-haired boy asked.

"Tell me, are you happy just having to scrounge for all this? What if you could make it... and not just through gold? I need someone who's greed is enough to challenge Elohim, and you're the lucky candidate." Lucifer explained, offering a hand.

Widening his eyes, the others all gave the greedy boy a similar look of approval.

"Challenging Elohim... are you serious? And you want me to help you do it?" He asked, still feeling incredulous over what he heard.

"Is that a no? We can always find someone else if you aren't interested." Lucifer inquired.

Tightening his fist, the boy stood up and looked the Angel of Justice in the eye, which is where he saw it... a look of deep understanding.

"Elohim made us with the thought we could become anything... but how can we!? His own system for how we live and work basically means we're stuck where we are! How does he expect us to do this when birth itself defines and limits us to who we are!" He exclaimed.

Lilith recognized the tone of his voice... it was filled with loss.

"You had something you cared for, but it's not here anymore, is it?" She stated, walking closer to her.

He immediately sighed, looking away as he covered his face with his hand, confirming her thoughts.

"Uh... why not start by telling us your name?" Lucifuge suggested.

"Right... my name is Zereikel Rosenkreutz, used to live closer to the borders of Europe in the Norse Gods' land. Things were fine at first, but then one day? My younger brother got sick... the treatment was too expensive for his illness, and even though I begged to not get paid for years, try getting spare change, everything that charity should have used? I just didn't have the time, so he ended up passing away." He introduced himself.

Lucifer briefly turned his head, catching his fiancé's attention.

"I couldn't take it. When I was asked to return everything the day afterwards, so I had time to  _grieve_  over the lost... I just fled and kept everything. From there, I kept everything you found here, because I want those who hear all this is here know the same feeling, just so people know how a lack of money is enough to kill people." Zereikel continued, feeling his eyes tear up.

"E-excuse me for a moment..." Lucifer replied, walking off somewhere.

"Lucifer!?" Lilith called out, following him.

Zereikel and Leviathan both looked at that in confusion, while Lucifuge sighed a bit, knowing exactly what made him rush off.

Lilith eventually found Lucifer kneeling in an empty spot, taking deep breaths as he tried to calm his emotions a bit.

"Hey, are... are you OK?" She asked, looking worried.

The Angel didn't even try to lie about it, shaking his head in reply to her question.

"No, listening to what he said... it reminds of what I did the day I rescued you." He admitted.

"What do you mean?" She asked, being the first she ever heard of this.

"To make it clear to everyone that I was truly against them and to give up, to make it clear how serious I was without any doubt? I did something under the view that I had no regrets. Which was..." Lucifer answered, taking a deep breath.

Holding Lilith's hand close, he finally unveiled the secret he kept from her all these years.

"I... killed one of my fellow Angels, murdered Raziel right before my eyes." He stated.

Lilith's eyes widened at that. She knew that he broke his hello, spoke and acted on what was taboo for all Angels, and even spoke against Elohim himself... but she didn't know for her sake, he went as far to take someone's life.

"Had we been in each other's place... I would have done the same for your sake." Lilith replied, hugging him close.

"Lilith?" Lucifer said in surprise.

"I've stayed by your side all these years, loved you ever since you saved me from that fire, gave you everything that was me as proof of your love... if it was to save your life, then I'd take another without hesitation. You may be hurting, but that's a pain I'll bear with you, just as I expect the same when it's my turn to fight for you." She promised.

Hearing those words, Lucifer briefly teared up before hugging her back, giving her a loving kiss that they held for a few minutes.

"Uh... are we interrupting anything?" Zereikel asked.

Both of them blushed as they turned to see him with the other girls by his side.

"N-no, we're fine... so, you with us?" He inquired.

"Yeah, you can count me in this. In fact, just to show you how much I'm in this?" Zereikel confirmed, nodding his head.

Putting his hand out, everyone saw the gold ripple a bit.

In mere seconds, all of the gold started to melt, surprising them all. This surprise continued even further when it all rushed into his hand like he absorbed it all into his body.

"Everything that I own will be invested in it." He smirked.

"You're making that kind of bet to net an even greater reward? Oh yeah, this kid's definitely greedy." Suichi smirked.

"And I think there's a fitting new name I can give him." Lucifer agreed.

Zereikel blinked a bit.

"Uh... why not, guess it would be interesting to see what a Great Seraph's idea for a name would be." He shrugged.

"How does Mammon sound? It was my name idea for the material that we all know as Gold." The Angels suggested.

That name immediately made his eyes widened.

"A name that's literally worth its weight in gold? I'm definitely saying yes to a name like that." Mammon praised, accepting his new name.

* * *

Up in Heaven, the sight of Metatron could be seen as she was looking over a few things for some project Elohim had been recently considering. Sariel looked over her shoulder, curious about what she saw.

It was a long spear, one that seemed incredibly sharp compared to their normal light spears.

"So, this object here... what does Father call it again?" Sariel asked, looking a bit afraid to get any closer to the spear than she already was.

"He named it after a Saint he finds truly upholds all the ideals we've bestowed Humanity, the  _Spear of Longinus_." Metatron answered.

The Angel of Chastity decided not to make any comments on how lazy that name seemed.

"What makes this different from our light spears? Well, aside from the fact this is an actual weapon instead of solidified light." She asked.

Metatron whistled to a nearby Angel with six wings.

"Hmm?" They blinked, looking her way.

"Prepare to rebuild that nearby structure, I need to test out this weapon our Father asked me to construct." She warned.

"Oh! Right, on it!" They answered.

Moving out of the way, Metatron grabbed the spear, causing Sariel to panic as she saw the spear shake as if to resist her grip.

"Uh... is that because its broken or-" She asked.

"Only Father or Saint Longinus could wield this by design, or those the spear itself deemed worthy! Just testing this thing's taking all I have!" Metatron grunted, knowing her virtue was the only reason it hadn't slipped out of her grip by now.

Pulling it back, she immediately threw it through the air, her aim slightly off by the spear's shaking form. The moment it hit the structure she warned would break...

*"KABOOM!"*

Sariel and every other Angel present all stared in fear and awe at the damage the spear did as it flew back into the clouds of the Sixth Heaven... considering it just left a giant gaping hole where it slammed through!

And by big, the kind of big used to describe the size of a Blue Whale's maximum length.

"Heavens!" Sariel exclaimed.

Metatron waved her hand a bit, feeling a slight pull from the throw.

"And this thing's still not finished, which is why I'm the one making it. Most of the Angels initially working on this thing were too terrified after the first demonstration to continue it." She remarked.

"Makes sense the Angel of Diligence would be working on-" Sariel agreed, chuckling nervously.

Before she could finish, her fellow Great Seraph's eyes widened before her blue-tipped wings began flapping a bit, as if sensing something.

"What's wrong?" Sariel asked.

"Oh man... quick, gather the other Great Seraphs together, something feels wrong. The kind of wrong only one Angel should make us feel." Metatron requested, looking worried.

"No way, a problem related to Lucifer?" She gasped.

Flapping open her wings, which were shown to now have pink tips, she flew off to gather the others. Metatron immediately moved to a certain machine and began trying to figure out what was going on... only for an error screen to show up.

"Damn it! Even now I can't slip around his lack of a halo to search his location, just what is he planning!?" She growled, slamming her hands down.

* * *

High in the skies of Europe, the sight of Suichi flying, now with Mammon riding alongside them as their newest ally.

"Didn't think you were wearing a Dragon scarf all this time." He joked.

"I could say the same. To think you'd literally take all your riches and absorb them together like that. Never seen anyone literally invest their entire fortune on something in that manner." Leviathan joked back.

Looking around from the skies, their Angel leader was trying to spot the area of Asia they were heading to as they searched for their fourth sin, the one who represented Wrath.

"No, don't see anything in the Chinese Pantheon's quadrant." Lucifuge remarked.

She used her magic to darken an area on the map she picked up before they left.

"Hold on, you said the next person we were looking for represents the sin of Wrath, right? Like as in someone with incredible anger?" Mammon asked.

"Yeah, I'm guessing that you've got a lead?" Lilith answered.

"Think I do. Around the time that cave became my home, I heard within the heart of the Hindu Pantheon's territory that there was a man with incredible fury. Normally we'd see Elohim's enforcers take down someone like this, but they say he uses his rage in ways that were too beneficial, so Brahma forced an exception to be made under the condition he was supervised." He recalled.

Suichi hummed at that, wondering if it was the same person in question.

"We'll go there then, it seems like our best lead right now." Lucifer decided.

"Alright, hang on tight!" Suichi warned.

"Uh oh... Mammon, better hold on tight and we apologize if you can't handle spinning." Leviathan realized.

He raised an eye before Suichi began to spiral, making him scream before he grabbed on tightly.

* * *

Elohim was seen talking through a portal of light, with Odin looking through the opposing side of it. The look on the Norse God's face made it clear this wasn't good news.

"So, you're fairly sure that Loki's recent mischief was because she decided to indulge an unknown party in your territory?" Elohim asked.

"Before anything happened, my eye sensed an unfamiliar presence. It was only after I warned Thor to keep an eye out... likely inspiring her to do something while neither of us knew she had spied in on us." Odin answered.

Before the Biblical God was able to reply, he heard a rustling sound as all of the Great Seraphs suddenly gathered together.

"Father, we have terrible news... Lucifer's make some suspicious movements!" Metatron warned, panting from exhaustion.

Hearing that, the leader of Heaven's eyes widened before he gripped his fists.

"Lord Odin, it seems that I've managed to figure out who was snooping around your territory. Try verifying anything odd in your area before we continue." He stated.

"Understood, I'll leave you to handle your own problems until then." Odin replied.

Closing the portal, the Angels' creator stood up and walked to his Great Seraphs.

"He hasn't done anything for ages and now he chooses to be so foolish to try something? I'm shocked to see he's grown so arrogant." Elohim mocked.

"Father, do you want us to handle Lucifer? All 12 of us together should be able to handle him." Michael asked.

"No, at least not yet... let us gauge where he is now. We have no need for overkill after all. Besides, I've had the Fifth Heaven develop something just for such an occasion." He refused, looking towards his wife.

Shekhinah's eyes widened as she realized what he was referring to, and released a heavy sigh as it became clear to her... Lucifer was now a threat they had to stop.

Closing her eyes, she nodded before headed to the Fifth Heaven with the intention to tell them Elohim requested for the deployment of a weapon she hoped would have never been needed.

* * *

Flying near the area within the heart of the Hindu Pantheon, the Lucifer Team neared the ground in an area that would keep the local Gods from viewing them as a danger. All of them soon slipped out from behind a building, where Lucifuge scanned the area.

"I recognize this place, this is where I had to work for some money that one time we were short on food." She realized.

"Then we should be able to use your false identity from back then to our advantage." Lilith stated, realizing their luck.

Nodding her head, Lucifuge briefly sunk into her shadow and slipped inside a building, grabbing a few outfits they could use to disguise themselves as citizens.

Quickly putting them on (while covering Suichi under Lucifuge's scarf), they soon walked out into public view.

"Mammon, Suichi? Got any more information for us?" Lucifer asked.

"Not else on my end, sorry about that." The Water Dragon replied.

"But I do, and from what I'm aware of? This guy's job is basically to take care of human level destruction work and clean up the Gods just don't have the time to make constant trips for themselves in areas where there's way too much of it." Mammon answered.

"You mean, he's basically a trash boy?" Lilith summarized.

The representative of Greed just gave an awkward chuckle at that, though quickly went silent since he knew it wasn't funny at all.

*"BANG!"*

Hearing that sound, everyone turned to see a cracked and breaking building fall to the ground like rubble, with dark energy spewing out to gobble all the dust and flying rubble that would have formed.

"Whoa, a darkness element user? Those are rare." Lucifuge said in awe.

It didn't take much longer until there was nothing left of the old building, causing the group to peak out for a closer look. That's when they all saw witness to the one who caused it, which caught Lucifer's attention.

He was a young-looking boy with long black hair, likely from a lack of a haircut, and piercing gold eyes that were not unlike the fierce red ones he had. Though his appearance was probably in the worst condition... he was literally in chains and something like a less restrictive straight jacket that was divided into both a shirt and pants.

"Oh man, now it makes sense. This guy's not helping out of his own free will." Lilith said, looking horrified.

"He's a prisoner being forced to do community service on pay roll. If any of us were in that position, I wouldn't blame us representing the sin of Wrath in the slightest." Suichi agreed, glaring at the people near him.

With his work done, one of the people nearby, who was revealed to be an Asura, pulled on his chains. The moment it happened, the black-haired boy shot him a dirty look.

"Face down you brat, now get going!" The Asura ordered, pushing him down with his other hand.

Knowing that this wasn't just a potential ally, but an outright prisoner who may have not been truly guilty of his crime to even be having the limited freedom he did? None of Lucifer's group had any hesitations about helping him.

"We need to get some information. Lucifuge, do your thing." Lucifer stated.

She nodded, holding her hand up.

Moments after she did, light refracted until she created a fake ID, with  _Grayfia Lewis_  being the false identity printed on it.

"I am very jealous of however you did that." Mammon sighed.

"Claims the guy who was able to make a wall out of pure diamond." She reminded him.

Lucifuge reached for a nearby box and walked near the Asura, clearing her throat a bit.

"What do you want!?" He shouted.

"Apologies, but I made a wrong turn with this delivery. Mind pointing me in the right direction?" Lucifuge requested.

The black-haired boy noticed her shadow's arm reaching out into the Asura's for some reason, getting his attention.

"Ugh... just go left of here." He groaned.

"Thank you, I'll be on my way now." She smiled, walking in that direction.

After leaving view, her shadow slipped back to the group as the boy was taken somewhere. He did briefly glance back as if knowing allies were close by.

'If she is a friend, then I should give them a clue.' He thought.

Focusing his eyes in one spot, a bunch of darkness swarmed around a certain area that Lucifer's group would surely notice.

Lucky for them, that's exactly what happened.

"That boy definitely realized we were trying to help him. Luckily for him, I got exactly what I needed." Lucifuge stated.

"Why did you need to poke around his shadow exactly?" Mammon inquired.

"It's obvious that's his parole officer or whatever equivalent the Hindu Gods have for it, so I needed to get a feel for the key to those chains on him. Now I just need someone who can make it." She explained.

Hearing that, Mammon gained an interesting look before grabbing a nearby rock chunk.

"Now this sounds like a fun time." He stated.

* * *

With heavy force, the Asura tossed the boy into his seal and put a magical lock over it.

"Just a heads up, there's no work for you to have for the next month, so I hope you enjoy your stay until that time-" He smirked.

Before he could finish, a small crash was heard.

"Oh, for the love of! What the hell is going on right now you idiots!?" He screamed.

He rushed over to deal with whatever was happening, making the boy smirk.

"Looks like they showed up." He smiled.

Meanwhile on the outside area, the sight of a smoking equipment machine was seen as Leviathan snickered a bit.

"That should focus the attention of everyone inside." She stated.

"Now, let me open the path to the front." Lucifuge smirked.

A bunch of guards stood waiting for something to happen, only for all of them to feel a huge impact against their neck areas as Lucifuge appeared behind them, her hand held in a chopping shape. Opening her eyes, all of them collapsed before she turned around.

"Cost is clear." She stated.

"Man, you really are a magical ninja." Mammon praised, incredibly impressed.

All of the Lucifer Team soon got inside, briefly stopping as Lucifer took out a note.

"Let's see, he's located in... 2nd Floor, in the West Wing, inside of Cell D-365." He read.

Mammon glanced around, soon finding the stairs.

"That way!" He shouted, rushing to the upper floor.

Everyone followed him, eventually getting to the location in question, where they found their black-haired friend waiting for them.

"Sounds like you're the jail breakers." He smirked.

"And I'm guessing you're a wrongfully imprisoned occupant here? I doubt you'd get pay roll of your fury was truly as bad as rumors make you out to be." Lucifer asked.

"Course I am. Years ago, Indra's own arrogance cost my parents their lives, and I rightfully flipped out over it by smashing that monster into oblivion! But do I get praised for saving everyone? No, what I get is punishment, and Elohim makes sure that Brahma couldn't fully pardon me! Not to mention sets that bastard of an Asura as my so-called warden and parole officer just to rub the salt in!" He growled.

Everyone showed surprise at that.

"He is definitely who we need on our side. Not only does he have the sin, but the strength and incentive for it." Suichi remarked.

"Get me out of here to have my vengeance, and I'll join you in whatever you've got in mind. There's not exactly anything better for me right now." The black-haired boy.

Mammon held out a key, making the boy's eyes widen.

"You snuck the key away from that Asura without him noticing? How did you-" He questioned.

"We didn't, this is a replica I made." Mammon explained.

He tossed it over to the black-haired boy, letting him catch it in his teeth as he unlocked the chains on one hand before simply breaking the other off.

"Alright, stand back!" He warned, reeling his fist.

They all moved out of the way right in time as his punch didn't just break down the cell bars, but the entire wall.

"Feels so good to let that out!" He exclaimed, giving a panting and toothy grin.

"Alright, now that we've gotten that out of the way, mind telling us your name?" Leviathan asked.

"It's Satan." He revealed.

Lucifer gave an impressed smile at that name, making him decide on something unexpected.

"You know what? I like your name, we don't need to change it." The Angel of Justice decided.

"Uh... excuse me?" Satan asked, looking confused.

"Get out of here first, explain later." Lilith promised.

"Eh... alright then?" He replied, taking a moment before he decided to simply shrug his shoulders.

Right at that exact moment, the Asura who'd been tormenting him for years rushed into the room, his eyes widening as he saw Satan had gotten out of his cell.

"W-what!? No way, I still have the key! How'd-" He panicked.

Satan immediately held out a hand, darkness surrounding it as a small puddle of it caught the Asura from the waist down.

"Mind giving me a minute or two? I'm making sure to milk every moment of revenge against my  _grateful_  parole officer." He requested, cracking his neck both ways.

"Shoot." Lucifer permitted.

Whimpering escaped the Half-God's mouth as the living dynamite walked near him.

The most painful and destructive sounds soon followed, making Lucifer's group wince, briefly turn away, gasp, widen their eyes and everything else they could do on short notice as they watched. Various screams, shrieks, yelling, begging and other sounds escaped the Asura's mouth until finally...

"Alright, he's dead now." Satan stated as he walked past the group, smiling like he just had a spa treatment.

"Wasn't that a bit overkill?" Lilith asked.

"Considering what he's likely been through? I don't think we want the answer to that, so let's just go now." Lucifer suggested.

Everyone nodded their heads in agreement as they went outside.

* * *

Satan downed a whole bottle of cola as he listened to Lucifer's explanation.

"You want to basically kick Elohim off his high horse? Considering that prick left me to rot in that prison cell, you've already got my support." Satan approved.

"Didn't think this would be the easy sin representative for us to get." Leviathan admitted, slightly surprised.

The black-haired boy shrugged at that.

"But seriously, what was that whole name thing about in there?" He questioned, looking at Lucifer.

Right as the Great Seraph prepared to answer...

*"CRASH!"*

All of them immediately jumped and looked in one direction, seeing everyone screaming as a titanic... something was walking through the mist.

"What's going on!?" Mammon questioned.

"This feeling... no, it can't be! There's concentrated holy light where that thing's standing!" Lucifer gasped.

"You mean Heaven sent that at us despite where we were? They're crazy!" Satan exclaimed.

* * *

From the heights of Mount Meru, the Trimurti got wind of what just happened and showed surprise at what they knew was one of the Biblical God's creations.

"Why would Elohim send anything into our territory? Is he mad!?" Vishnu questioned.

"Shiva, get down there and take care of whatever's threatening the people. I'll have a talk with my good friend after we deal with this threat." Brahma stated, his face showing clear annoyance and anger.

The Hindu God of Destruction nodded his head, rushing down to the city Lucifer's group was in.

"Elohim... what will it take for you to start listening to us? Why are you too blind to all of this!?" He questioned, almost sounding sad and helpless.

Vishnu put a hand on the original Prana God's back to comfort him.

* * *

Lucifer's group watched as they eventually found themselves face to face with a giant white robot that had a Mecha look to it, its eyes glowing blue as it scanned around the area and soon detected Lucifer and Lilith's signatures.

『"Genetic signatures detected, activating contact protocol! Registering contact as... Lord Elohim!"』

"So, he's finally noticed us..." Lucifer glared, staring at the machine.

Part of the robot's body shifted to give way to a screen, which flickered for a few moments before the sight of Elohim's face appeared on it. It didn't take long for the so-called creator and creation's eyes to meet.

『"Lucifer... how wonderfully awful it is to see you again."』 He spat.

The Angel of Justice rolled his eyes at that.

"If it makes you feel better, it's mutual between us. How's it been having created Humanity in a way that's been making it rot both themselves and the rest of this world?" He inquired.

『"You dare to speak me like that, and make such a claim on top of it? I take back what I told the Great Seraph about you being arrogant... you've grown to show a sin that's even worse! Yes, that's it... you are now nothing more than an Angel who's running on nothing but pride!"』 Elohim responded.

Lucifer showed a bit of surprise at that, but smirked a bit.

"Ah, so that's my sin? Well then... let my pride promise this to you here and now. I will show the world you can err, and I'll make sure to show it by defeating you and all you send my way, let you know the regret that letting me live was the greatest error you ever made!" He declared.

Elohim's glare turned scary, feeling great disrespect from such a claim.

『"Think you're so proud? Don't forget who created you, I am a God and you are nothing compared to me! Now let this weapon I made just to end your life be proof of that!"』 He exclaimed.

『"Battle protocol initiated! Set perimeters decided, eliminate Lucifer, Lilith, and all who aid them!"』

Reeling its arm back, the machine's arm shifted to reveal a hidden blade of light underneath it before thrusting it towards Lucifer's form. Just when the civilians watching thought that was it...

*"CRACK!"*

Elohim's eyes suddenly shook in surprise as he saw that very blade cracked from the upper half, all from a blade of light that Lucifer made himself to parry it.

"I am proud, but it seems you are outright ignorant, because it's apparent there was one thing you never considered..." He stated, his voice completely calm.

He spun his blade around, slicing off the robot's hand.

"Which was the fact I've gotten stronger than the me who betrayed Heaven that you based this piece of scrap on!" Lucifer screamed with rage.

『"You... arrogant... little... brat!"』 Elohim roared.

"Everyone, let's throw this walking junk pile into the trash!" The Angel of Justice shouted.

And with that, the rest of his team all smiled and nodded their heads and joined the battle.

**「** **Darling in the FranXX: Opening** **」**

The robot's eyes glowed as the sword of light repaired itself, stabbing into the ground to create a shock wave of light across the ground. Suichi immediately responded by taking his true form.

"Leviathan, give me some waves!" He shouted.

"Right!" She nodded.

Floating in the air with her magic, her eyes glowed as she materialized a huge flood of water from nowhere, all of which she focused specifically on the path Suichi's body was taking. This let the serpentine Dragon smash into the robot and coil around it, fully camouflaged by the water.

"Time for a snack!" Suichi roared.

Biting his gaping maw onto the robot's head, it sparked a bit... only for it to regrow and give the Heavenly Weapon a chance to morph its other hand into a canon.

Suichi was immediately blasted and tumbled across the area, making hundreds of humans' panic as he threatened to fall on them.

" **Diamond Defense!** "

Crystalline hexagons formed and cushioned Suichi's fall, while giving the innocent civilians some protection.

"Stay under there, we won't let this thing hurt you!" Mammon promised.

"You brought these people into the crossfire... any sympathy or pity I had for you has now turned into shame!" Lilith screamed angrily, raising her hands.

A huge storm of magical blasts fired off at the robot, pummeling it as it was forced to guard itself with a barrier.

"That won't work." Lucifuge warned.

Shadows suddenly rose from within it, constricting the machine in every way as Lucifuge was shown to have hid herself within her shadow. Turning towards Satan, her head nodded and caused him to do the same.

"Get ready Elohim, because I'm taking the revenge you've made me build up for all those years you wrongly imprisoned me." He stated.

"Launching you in 3, 2, 1... now!" Lucifuge announced.

Her shadow immediately catapulted him towards the Heavenly Guardian, making him scream as a typhoon of darkness covered him from view, making the robot panic as it tried and failed to locate him.

By the time the machine had managed to locate him in any manner, he had already thrust his hand into the barrier and ripping a hole that eventually broke it entirely.

" **Now feel every fiber of my Wrath!** " Satan roared, echoing like a raging thunderstorm.

His fist smashed into the Heavenly Guardian, with his screams of fury coming out like a wild animal's piercing will and threat ebbing out of their roar. It didn't take long before he shot through its body, with a few broke parts flying out with him.

『"Error detected! All defense systems disabled, shields are now completely inoperable!"』

Upon hearing that sound, the future Maou of Wrath gave a toothy grin at what he achieved.

**「** **Insert Song End** **」**

『"Just how... could all of you... do such a thing!? No matter, this isn't even the full power of this machine! Deactivate the limiter!"』 Elohim roared, glaring at all of them.

The robot's eyes sparked a bit before turning red, making its white armor transform into a golden color that immediately released a heavy pressure across the entire area.

Before anyone knew it, they were all pressed against the ground, with even Lucifer feeling himself locked to the ground.

『"Finally, this fight is over! It's time I end your foolish pride once and for-"』 Elohim laughed in victory, smirking heavily.

" **Destruction Wave.** "

Right as the Heavenly Guardian was about to deal the fatal blow, it was suddenly hit by a powerful black and green blast... then completely disappeared without a trace!

The pressure immediately disappeared, making Lucifer's group raise their heads as they saw a certain Hindu God appear before them.

"Of course, it makes sense why Elohim was causing problems without telling us anything. The irony is you're a problem of his that I'm actually happy to see." Shiva stated, smiling as he finished his statement.

"L-Lord Shiva..." Lucifer breathed.

"No way, the Trimurti of Destruction... and he just helped us?" Lilith said softly, feeling some awe.

He motioned his hand, asking the group to follow him.

"I think there's someone who'd like to talk with all of you, so... do you mind?" Shiva asked, briefly glancing back at them.

* * *

**Lucifer's group now has six members, but now they've gotten Elohim's full attention, which means it's now a race for him to find the remaining three representatives of the deadly sins. While they did put up a good fight, it's clear they still have a few areas to cover in their group's range of abilities to counter that Heavenly Guardian's pressure, and no one will save them next time.**

**We also got a highlight from the Norse Pantheon and learned of their origins, which was due to a Dragon and the Protogenoi of all things. *giggles* I also made this version of Loki a woman, since I felt that making a female version of him would be funny, and because I find it hard to make Loki act like that if he's his canon gender, since he seems too... serious in canon?**

**I think the biggest surprise in this chapter is you saw me introduce prehistoric creatures of all things, but I can't say any more about them for now due the usual spoiler reasons... well, except that the Dragons eat a lot of them. They needed some powerful creatures in their ecosystem to evolve as they did, and a lot of prehistoric things are a good catalyst, like the guillotine jaws of a Dunkleosteus helping their scales become so durable.**

**Having Shiva appear to completely end the battle with a single strike was also a fun scene to write, since it gives Lucifer of an idea for how fear his group still is compared to Elohim, since they're on the same tier when it comes to power alone without factoring any of their special abilities and such. For why he and the other Trimurti aren't actively stopping him themselves? Next chapter will answer that question.**

**Until next time everyone, and stay awesome! ^^**


	7. Chapter 7

**We're back for the third part of Lucifer's story, and this where things get intense since Elohim's finally aware of what he's doing, not to mention likely very enraged that Shiva chose to aid them by vaporizing the Heavenly Guardian just as it would have finished them. No longer is the luxury of time on the side of the Lucifer Team in their efforts to challenge the Biblical God.**

**This chapter's exciting since the last of the Maou will finally make their official debuts in the story, and I especially like the version of Belphegor I designed for this story. Had it not been for the set of abilities I gave her, she would have been one of the earlier sins the group would have met, as all I'll say for now is she would have made finding the others too easy and too fast, which would have been pretty boring.**

**Oh yeah, this is something I should have probably said in earlier chapters, but Humanity at the time of these events is in the modern age... or rather their first one. As was revealed in Issei's letter to Irina, the events of the Great War temporarily left them all extinct, with how they were restored erasing all memories they had of the Supernatural World in the process.**

**You might recall how Mammon's original surname was revealed to be Rosenkreutz, and while I can't say any further on that subject for now, that is a key point to how Humanity was even revived in the first place. How he is actually related to Rudiger is something you'll also find out alongside it. For anyone that asks, the modern age that Issei and Vali live in has the same level of technology as this one does.**

**And now, it's time to get this next chapter started!**

* * *

**()**  - Albion Talking via the Divine Dividing

 **[]**  - Ddraig Talking via the Boosted Gear

 **«»**  - Consciousness of any other Sacred Gear Talking

 **〖〗**  - Voice Speaking through a Magic Circle

 **【】**  - Voice made by an Announcement or through an Announcer

 **「」**  - Insert Song Beginning or Ending

『』 - Electrical Voice or Machine Speaking

* * *

**_Chapter 7 - The Seven United_ **

The scene opened up in Heaven, where the sight of Elohim could be seen, with Shekhinah and the 12 Great Seraphs all within the same room. They were all equally shocked over how Shiva had intervened and vaporized the Heavenly Guardian using only a fraction of his power.

Needless to say, the Leader of Heaven's current expression was as bad as one might expect over this in combination with Lucifer once again becoming a thorn in his side.

_"After Shiva's intervention managed to save us from what was likely going to be our deaths, I have no doubt that Elohim was more furious than an erupting volcano, and that was probably the case due to what he decided shortly after... that was when it was clear we had no time to waste."_

Right at that moment, the Angel Leader turned around, making all of the Great Seraphs straightened themselves nervously at the terrifying face he made.

"Michael, listen well... I want you to take Gabriel, Sandalphon, Metatron, Raphael, Uriel, Sariel, Azazel, and Cassiel down to Earth to fight against Lucifer and his team. Penemue, you'll stay behind with Camael and Haniel to keep some of our best here." The Biblical God ordered.

Shekhinah gasped at that.

"Dear, are you saying that you're going to-" She realized, nearly covering her mouth.

"I've been left with no choice... they must know full despair and defeat. When that finally happens, I myself shall end their sinful lives and purge their influence before they can corrupt this world any further." Elohim answered.

Looking towards a certain direction, his eyes widened before a door opened up and revealed something that no Angel in Heaven had ever seen before.

Then he raised his hand, causing a familiar spear to fly into it.

* * *

Walking up the pathway of Mount Meru, everyone in the Lucifer Team was seen as they followed Shiva to the summit.

It wasn't long until they saw the sight of a girl with long, dark red hair and brown eyes that gave a look that fit the normally angry positioned eyes of Satan, or at least a tough look.

"Ah, there you are father." She stated, smiling a bit.

"Ugh... wish you didn't call me that." The Hindu God of Destruction groaned, shaking his head.

Leviathan's eyes widened before she rubbed them.

"No, she's not actually my kid... by blood at least. I've just raised the brat ever since Elohim made her and then gave her to me after she became too for him much to handle. She got attached to me, became quickly interested in our use of Prana, and then I ended up giving her training lessons usually only Buddha and Deva get." Shiva explained.

Hearing that, Satan chuckled a bit.

"Basically, a daddy's girl that forced you to be her old man. Can't tell which of you is more of a sucker in this." He stated.

"Oh, says the jail breaking idiot that needed someone to unlock his chains before he simply broke out of them?" She retorted.

At that moment, everyone saw them giving angry smiles as their faces pressed together, with the cowlicks of their respective hair actually pushing against each other like they were having an arm or thumb wrestle.

"Uh... we're all seeing that, right?" Suichi questioned, raising an eye.

"Enough of that Choronzon, these people need to see my brothers right now." Shiva intervened, his eyes closed as he said it.

"Fine, but I'm expecting a rematch later." She agreed, looking at Satan more.

"Same here." He replied, showing a toothy grin.

Everyone of Lucifer's group gave a weird reaction to their apparent future  _challenge_ , except the Angel himself and his fiancé who had other thoughts.

'Why am I getting Deja vu?' He thought.

'Maybe it's just me, but Satan seems like he could be the Human counterpart to Lucifer sometimes.' Lilith thought.

Both of them suddenly widened their eyes.

'Is this a hint towards them ending up in a relationship? No way, that's crazy!' They thought in unison.

Satan blinked in confusion as he saw this.

"Lord Brahma! Lord Vishnu! Father brought some guests here!" Choronzon shouted.

Everyone covered their ears while Shiva sighed again, quickly face palming himself.

"Yeah, there's the day's daily Choronzon Call..." Brahma winced, cleaning his right ear due to the ringing currently traveling through it.

"Ditto, so where are these-" Vishnu replied.

At that moment, both of them blinked and then gasped as they saw Lucifer before them.

"That suddenly explains so much about why that idiot sent a freaking robot here!" Brahma groaned, feeling his fist shaking.

"Well, how about you all come in? I'm pretty sure one of you in particular is likely starving." Vishnu suggested.

Everyone looked at Satan in response, who sweat a bit.

*"GROWL!"*

He then started to blush as he kept sweating, looking away from everyone in response.

"That sounded embarrassing." Choronzon smirked.

"Hey, you shut up over there!" He screamed.

Brahma and Vishnu both looked at the two in confusion, noticing the odd chemistry.

* * *

Everyone gave an awkward stare as they saw Satan devouring everything like a faulty sprinkler that shot water everywhere. Shiva had his aura out to purge any scraps that flew towards him, while Mammon formed a diamond barrier to block the ones that neared the others.

Lucifer and Lilith were far enough they didn't get hit by any of them, but they both pushed their plates away as it killed their appetites... while Choronzon wasn't as lucky.

"If anyone calls this karma, I will hurt you." She warned.

A loud burp was soon heard as Satan finally ate his fill, with Brahma giving an awkward chuckle as he brought out new clothes for the sin of Wrath to change into.

"Had it not been for the fact you were imprisoned for so long and gotten meager food, I'd be questioning your table manners right now." He awkwardly remarked.

"You don't want to even know what that food was. It was so horrible, it made me want to eat toothpaste." Satan replied.

Mammon nearly puked in response to that thought as Satan made a curtain of darkness to change inside, while also cleaning up a bit. He soon came out wearing an opened black jacket with short sleeves and a red shirt underneath, a pair of fingerless black gloves with red wrists bands, jean shorts, and golden-yellow sneakers with black accents.

"Huh, you don't look half bad." Choronzon admitted, wiping the food scraps off of her.

With the food and clothes for Satan finally taken care of, Lucifer turned to the three leaders of the Hindu Pantheon with a serious look on his face.

"Alright, think it's a good time to ask why we're here." He inquired.

"You obviously seem to be standing against Elohim without any hesitation, the fact you've been gathering these allies is proof of it." Brahma stated.

"So, is that your way of saying this a warning for us to stop? Otherwise you'll destroy us?" Leviathan inquired.

Vishnu shook his head.

"No, if anything? We think you've got the right idea." He stated.

Lucifer's group showed surprise at that.

"Elohim's intentions certainly mean well, but Izanagi and I have been around for nearly as long as he has. The other Gods have likely noticed this themselves... yet like us are unable to stop him because of the consequences that could result from us taking action against Heaven." Brahma explained.

"He's only considered stronger than us because he has more versatility, but if you had us compared to him when it came to rare power? We'd have little trouble matching him in battle." Vishnu mentioned.

Shiva soon sighed, making Lucifer's eyes widen as he started to understand what they were talking about.

"That's unfortunately why we can't either... if we fought him, it would turn into a war that risks dragging Humanity into it, and then the Gods will be forced to respond. It could easily envelop the world." He said.

Hearing this confirmed the Angel of Justice's thoughts, making him sigh at the obvious answer he never wanted to admit.

"Loki's strange morality aside, it makes sense why you've been letting him get away with this for so long. By the time Humanity became vital to the Gods... you couldn't stop it without too great a risk to even try it." Lucifer summarized things.

"But you can." Brahma replied.

"Eh? What do you mean?" Lucifer asked, unsure of what the powerful God meant.

The Hindu God of Creation opened his palm, making two energy orbs that spun around each other for a visual reference of what he said next. The Angel of Justice was quick to notice they were white and black.

"For everything that exists in this world, there is another that is the exact opposite of it. When Izanagi was born, his wife eventually became a Goddess of Spirits to represent the more spiritual life in comparison to the physical life he represented. Likewise, after I created too much in one area and it collapsed onto itself, Shiva rose from the ashes of destruction, then Vishnu appeared when we got into conflict about how we used each."

"However, that's where you can see the problem. Our faction and the Shinto Pantheon have multiple deities among them who contrast with one another, and while Elohim does have Shekhinah, it doesn't work because he created her and she's not a Goddess in the same manner as others due to how Jesus wasn't born a Demigod... for reasons that I've never understood. Either way, I think you get what I'm saying." Brahma explained.

Lucifer sighed, realizing why the energy orbs were opposite colors.

"There's no God or Goddess with powers opposite to his own, so his inability to realize he can err was left to grow because he never had anyone nitpick him or anything like that." He summarized, face palming a bit.

Brahma nodded his head in response, making the Angel of Justice feel a slight headache form.

"Which is why I believe what you're doing is ultimately a benefit not for just mankind, but the entire world as a whole. You might just be the one who can become that opposing deity." He stated.

"Huh?" Lucifer blinked, looking up.

"Elohim is a God of Light and Virtue, with his power being the Holy Light of the Heavens... but what many don't know is that hiding within that light is something else that he deemed was something dangerous he had to contain. Yet he can't expect to do so without harming the world." Brahma replied.

Shiva grabbed the white orb and then crushed it, making the black one flash.

"No matter how much of it there is, and no matter how bright it tries to shine... when light hits an object, an area of darkness will exist where that object blocks its rays from reaching. A place where a shadow will be born. Essentially, just as there is a Holy Light, there is a Sacred Darkness that exists opposite to it." Shiva stated.

Lucifer's eyes widened.

"Wait, are you saying that you think I could become the one who can wield that power?" He questioned.

"I do. When you heard what happened to Lilith, you hit the depths of despair, but rescuing her was something that showed you the heights of hope. Even now you still haven't lost the belief you can make a difference." Shiva confirmed.

Vishnu giggled a bit before raising his pointer finger.

"It isn't just that either. If you beat God by becoming someone with power equal to him, he'll finally fall from his own heights and hit the depths you did. Knowing that feeling may finally let him see what's happening to Humanity." The God of Order summarized it.

Hearing that, Lucifer looked at his hand and created a glow of light, focusing deeper on it then he ever had before today.

And then he saw it... a speck of black hidden within, but it wasn't cruel or evil. It was gentle, and simply misunderstood.

"I get it now, why I opposed God that day... the name of light bearer wasn't for the power I was born with, but my role in lighting the way for great change. That's why I was given the virtue of justice that let me see the wrongs in this world." Lucifer said to himself.

Brahma smiled at that, while Choronzon looked at the group in slight surprise. It was a sight she never expected to see.

"So, you're trying to find a few specific people, right?" Vishnu inquired.

"Yeah, people who represent certain sins. The only ones we still need to find are someone who represents the sins of Sloth, Gluttony, and Lust." Lucifer answered.

Brahma blinked a bit as he remembered something.

"Hey Shiva, didn't you recently talk with Izanagi about a Human girl in his territory with insane talent yet no desire to use it?" He asked.

"That I did, meaning that girl would obviously fit the sin of Sloth that our little rebels here are looking for." Shiva recalled, nodding a bit.

"Define these talents she doesn't use?" Lucifuge requested.

He took a moment to pause and think, making everyone stare awkwardly at the blank look he had on his face while doing so. eventually a metaphorical exclamation mark appeared over his head.

"She has an eidetic memory, is automatically good at everything she does, can solve complex problems in seconds, and spot the smallest things in a vast area. Though all she ever does is the minimum work requirement, using every other moment to simply play video games." Shiva answered.

"Hot damn..." Lucifer breathed, feeling himself tremble slightly.

"Eidetic memory? Uh... anyone know what kind of memory that is, because I've never heard of it." Lilith asked, blinking as she scratched her cheek.

Choronzon felt a sweat drop on her face in response.

"Basically, it's what you call a person's memory when they can remember everything they've ever heard or seen." She answered.

Lilith's briefly went white at that.

"Anyways, how about we send you over there through our magic? Izanami wanted to try some Indian spices and we promised to send some over. If you deliver them for us, that works for you as well." Vishnu suggested.

"Good point, we'd probably run into trouble that Elohim could send our way by trying to leave from here." Lucifer realized.

Brahma placed the boxes in Satan's hands, then opened a portal to Kyoto, making Lilith and Leviathan's eyes sparkle.

"I've always wanted to visit this place, score!" Leviathan cheered.

The Lucifer Team all walked through, with the Angel himself briefly glancing at the Trimurti one last time before leaving.

* * *

Sitting within an area of Kyoto's Imperial Palace, the sight of a girl with messy, long brown hair with a buxom figure that had bigger breasts than the Human Lilith's, wearing a loose red hoodie with short sleeves and white accents, along with loose black pants with a neon blue section and stripes.

The girl was currently mashing buttons on a game console, right as a magic portal suddenly got her attention, making her look to see the members of Lucifer's group walking through it.

"Hmm?" She tilted her head, wondering who they were.

Taking a moment to relax his arms as he put his arms down, Satan's eyes saw the girl in question... and then noticed all of the scraps of food and empty bottles/cans across the ground.

"You are a pig, clean this mess up now!" He roared angrily, pointing his finger at her.

"Meh, too much of a hassle." She waved, popping a cube of chocolate in her mouth.

Just as the living dynamite was about to explode and strike her, Lucifer immediately grabbed his shoulder. This caused the black-haired representative of Wrath to look at him in confusion.

"This girl just said it was a hassle to clean this, she has to one the one Shiva mentioned." The Angel stated.

Satan's eyes immediately widened, right as Lilith went blue at the sight of the girl's much larger breast size.

"Hers are bigger than mine... hers are bigger than mine..." She repeated.

"Uh... hey Lucifer, why's your girl sobbing on the ground?" Suichi asked.

Lucifer paused for a moment, feeling a little nervous about answering that question as he turned his head, eventually making Satan glare at him like an annoying younger brother.

"Spill it, now." He demanded.

The Angel of Justice sighed, looking to the side as he felt some of his pride die.

"Lilith's has a complex about her chest size because Eve was made to be even bigger than her. Mostly because it was like Elohim was saying she was only good for them after he imprisoned her." Lucifer explained.

"Normally that would be a weird and kind of stupid reasoning, but... this case seems a bit justified with how scarred her imprisonment made her." Leviathan replied.

Kneeling by her fellow woman's side, the representative of Envy rubbed Lilith's back.

"You should listen to the black-haired one Tereaku, it isn't safe to leave this trash in a place where it's a slipping hazard." A male voice chuckled.

"And here's the lecture..." She sighed.

Everyone turned to see Izanagi walk into view, looking no different from his present-day self.

"Oh, greeting to you-" Lucifer greeted.

"No need to explain yourselves. I already got word you came to deliver my wife's spices on their behalf. Guess I should have been faster in letting them know that Tereaku was a lot closer than they told you she was." He waved, chuckling a bit.

Upon that being said, the girl in question got up and walked away before anyone noticed, but before she could...

"Izanagi, here are the-" A female voice said.

Both Tereaku and the girl crashed into each other, causing the sound of something hitting the ground to catch everyone's attention. The girl in question was one that immediately made the members of Lucifer's group all show shock... and for good reason.

She looked just like Lilith, only her eyes were green, her breasts were much larger, and she had her hair tied in a braid held by a familiar ribbon.

"You're..." Lucifer breathed, recognizing her.

Hearing the voice of the Angel before her, the girl looked up and saw the girl she resembled.

"No way, are you... Lilith?" She asked.

"Eve!?" Lilith exclaimed, seeing her.

At that moment, she immediately fell over and fainted, making everyone stare at her.

* * *

Sometime later, the group was gathered in a table in the Youkai Realm, with Lucifer turning as he heard Lilith regain consciousness. Walking over to her, he helped her up.

"Lucifer? Tell me, did I really see who I'm sure I saw?" She asked.

"N-no... I'm over here." Eve answered, looking a little bit nervous.

Hearing that, Lilith paled a bit over as the confirmation of the girl that was made as her successor... until she suddenly felt herself stop as suddenly as a record player.

"Wait a second, why are you here? Shouldn't you and Adam be in the Garden of Eden?" Lilith asked.

Izanagi sighed, which made it clear that neither of them knew what happened with Humanity's origins during the many ages they and Lucifuge had been on the run.

"Eve and Adam... didn't make Humanity, that was done through Jesus because Adam ate the Fruit of Knowledge and denied her because he realized Cassiel was the woman he loved." He explained.

"Wait, what!? How'd Adam eat that Fruit? He isn't that foolish!" Lilith exclaimed in disbelief.

"He's not, but... he also didn't consider I was that dumb when he saw me holding a fruit." Eve replied, covering her face in embarrassment and shame.

Lucifer blinked at that, looking at Izanagi.

"Remember that old snake Samael? He used the fact Elohim made Eve with beauty instead of brains to his advantage and told her to eat the fruit, then Adam walked by and asked for it, so she gave it to him without realizing what was going on... and then somehow walked to the Tree of Life and ate that fruit instead." The God of Life explained, chuckling awkwardly.

Everyone's eyes widened in surprise, while Eve still covered her face.

"Well, anyways... after that, Adam got expelled. However, he took pity over the fact that Eve here had her heart broken, gave her the intelligence she should have, and rather than force her to leave Eden, he simply suggested it and left after she helped with a few things. It was at that same time he asked me to give her a home here, where she's been living ever since." Izanagi continued, rubbing her back.

Lilith paused before looking at Eve, noticing the quiet sniffling and tears she was hiding under her hands. It didn't take long before her look became one of sympathy and empathy as she walked to her side and hugged her.

She may have initially disliked her green-eyed successor for having basically replaced her existence and... the fact she was intentionally made more beautiful and bustier by Elohim to spite her, but she knew the same pain for that brief period she was imprisoned and believed she and Lucifer would never see each other again, much less be unable to be together.

'Forget how I felt all these years... because you didn't deserve that any more than I did.' Lilith thought.

Lucifer sighed a bit in relief, feeling a burden had been lifted from himself and his fiancé by showing that kindness to her.

"OK, now that we've cleared that up? I'd like you to take Tereaku with you. She's got a lot to offer, and-" Izanagi requested.

"Not gonna, can't make me." She refused.

Satan formed a vein on his head, preparing to stomp over and force her to join the Lucifer Team on their quest.

"Hold it. Before you rage, I think I've got a better idea." Lucifer interjected.

The gamer girl raised an eye as he moved near her ear, and as she prepared to turn away...

"Help us out, and you wouldn't ever have to work outside of any major emergencies if you wanted." He tempted, smirking a bit.

She flinched at that, sweating a bit.

'Whoa! Lucifer's tempting her!' His team thought, mildly impressed.

"You'd have a lot of money and could by more games without job pay." He tempted one again.

Tereaku's skin shivered this time, sweating even more as she shook slightly, nearly caving in.

"And most of all... you'd be able to hire a maid or butler who'd things like cleaning for you, meaning no one will ever have to bother you about it again." Lucifer tempted for the last time.

Finally, she caved in and nearly grabbed Lucifer in a choke hold.

"How do I sign up?" She demanded, one of her eyes glowing as her upper face area went completely dark.

"Start by... letting go..." He coughed.

Tereaku did just that, causing the Angel to gasp for breath over how deceptively strong the girl's body was before finally standing back up.

"Alright, let's start with giving you a new name. I think we'll go with-" Lucifer continued.

"Belphegor." She stated.

Everyone blinked at her intervention, soon holding up her game console as it showed a rankings list with [Belphegor] as the name at the top by a huge difference. The game handle that was hers.

"Uh... alright, we'll go with that... mostly because I don't want you to nearly choke me again." Lucifer decided, muttering the last part.

Izanagi and Eve both blinked at the sight as they felt sweat drops form on their faces.

"We only need the representatives for Gluttony and Lust now, I just hope we find them fast enough." Lilith stated.

"Already did, the former in the Wales region and the latter in America." Belphegor replied, holding up her screen.

The group looked in shock as all the info to triangulate them was there.

"Holy crap... Shiva wasn't kidding, this girl's insanely talented when she actually bothers to do anything." Satan admitted, breaking into a nervous sweat.

Belphegor soon yawned.

"Now I'm taking my nap, only wake me for something important, vital, or serious." She mumbled tiredly.

She fell forward, making Suichi shift his size slightly to land on her.

"Uh... think we should try America first, as one part of what I'd like us to do will require us to head into an area in the Tokyo Region." Lucifer suggested.

"Alright, then let's hurry before Elohim tries to attack us again." Lucifuge replied.

Taking flight on Suichi's back once again (with Lilith making sure Belphegor didn't fall off), the group headed to their next location.

However, before they fully left the palace's range of hearing...

"Good luck sis!" Eve exclaimed.

Lilith blushed as she looked back and realized who said it, but soon scratched her cheek with a smile.

'Sisters... I guess it wouldn't be too unreasonable to be the kind of friends who are like that.' She admitted, turning her head to the path ahead.

Waving goodbye, Izanagi and Eve soon saw them disappear from view.

The latter soon chose to walk away, but it didn't take long before she crashed into someone else as they were walking by.

"Ow..." Eve whimpered, rubbing her head.

"Sorry, are you alright?" A male voice asked.

Looking up, the boy in question was revealed to have a familiar combo of red hair and red eyes.

* * *

Soaring over the ocean waters, the group found themselves nearing a beach area near what would eventually one of California's beaches in the present day.

"Let's see... according to notes Belphegor left us before she took her nap, this area's outside of the law jurisdiction because it's meant for tourism and people to relax. A girl here takes advantage of that by living in this spot, which works in her favor because it brings in all kinds of men and women." Lucifer stated.

"Wait, did you say both? Like... as in the one representing Lust is bisexual?" Satan asked.

The Angel of Justice nodded his head.

"Honestly doesn't surprise me when you consider this sin is different from love mostly through a lack of restraint and sometimes consent." Leviathan mentioned.

As they neared the coastline, they caught the sight of their target incredibly fast.

Surfing across a big wave was the sight of a girl with long purple hair that reached to the top of her legs and light pink eyes. Her figure was incredibly voluptuous, enough that it beat Belphegor's (which once again gave Lilith some brief grief), and currently wore an incredibly sexy bikini.

"Look, it's Renee!" A female voice exclaimed, blushing a bit.

"So beautiful... I'm truly alive now!" A male voice cried happily.

Turning to do a horizontal flip in midair, the girl known as Renee winked at the crowd watching, making them all scream in joy before she landed and returned to land.

"To anyone that's interested in a few kisses, feel free to come over and get some love." She offered, placing a finger near her mouth.

Lucifer's group all stared for a bit as a bunch of kissing sounds were heard, making the whole thing feel a bit awkward to everyone but the still sleeping Belphegor, only broken when Suichi coughed a bit.

"Oh right, might be a good idea for me to do the talking. She'd probably be more hesitant to do something to an Angel." Lucifer suggested.

"Just know this... if you let her get you, I'll make sure you know real fear later." Lilith warned, a dark aura around her.

Hearing his fiancé's words make him shiver, he nodded in response before flying off towards the beach area, where Renee and everyone noticed the golden wings approaching them.

"Wait, those are..." She gasped.

Lucifer landed before her, making everyone hide behind something as Renee just stood there, shaking nervously.

"You have no fear in showing the sin of lust, so I'd like have your aid." He stated.

"Huh? Wait, so you're not here for divine punishment?" Renee questioned.

"There's no reason I'd ever help Elohim, after all... you've had to notice my lack of a halo, right?" Lucifer answered.

She finally looked and saw it was gone.

"No way, you're the Rogue Angel Lucifer?" The purple-haired girl realized.

"And I'm here to give Humanity the freedom that Elohim has denied them... so, you interested? I think you'd like to extend your reach of love beyond this small beach." Lucifer inquired.

Hearing that offer, Renee gave an excited blush as she put a hand to her cheek.

"If Elohim's restrictions were removed, then I could actually have a harem instead of just having everyone kiss up to me. Hmm... alright, then you've got yourself an ally." She agreed.

"Then welcome to my team Asmodeus, glad you've joined." Lucifer smirked.

"Asmodeus?" She repeated.

"Your new name, something nearly all of my group has gained to represent the mark we intend to leave. This name in particular was one I meant to give a classification for animals that give birth to many young at once. Fitting for someone like you, right?" He explained.

Hearing the meaning of her new name, Asmodeus gained a look of interest.

"I accept it, so what do we do now?" She asked.

"We're heading to Wales, as we still have one last ally to find before we're finally ready to face off against Elohim and his Angels." Lucifer explained.

Looking at the other beach goers, Asmodeus winked before they all screamed in joy once again.

* * *

Up in the Sixth Heaven, the sight of all of the Great Seraphs aside from the three asked to stay behind was seen, with Cassiel having Haniel and Camael helping her side of preparations. Unfortunately, there was a look of doubt on her face.

"Cassiel, is something wrong?" Haniel asked.

"Are we... are we really doing the right thing? Should we really be fighting Lucifer right now?" She questioned.

Both of them showed shock at that.

"You idiot, are you trying to make Father rage at you!? You know how he'd react to hearing that!" Camael exclaimed.

The Angel of Perseverance sighed.

"No, but... something about this feels wrong to me. I have no idea what to think. Ever since Adam left, said he loved me before he was expelled from Eden, I've been so unsure of myself. Is this what Lucifer felt like? Did he have no conscious to stop him, or do I just lack the courage he had?" She questioned.

"Uh... are you saying you won't fight for Father then?" Haniel inquired.

"Don't misunderstand, I will... but at the same time, I think this fight will be the way for me to know the answer I'm looking for. Basically, if Lucifer somehow prevails?" Cassiel answered.

Both her fellow Great Seraphs quickly realized what she meant.

"You'll go find Adam and leave then... fine, guess that's a promise between all three of us." Camael decided.

"Huh?" Cassiel blinked, looking at her.

Placing a hand on her shoulder, Haniel winked and gave her a smile towards her friend.

"The three of us have always been a team, so if you go, we're following. Besides, how would you do anything without us?" She stated.

Cassiel teared up at that.

"You'd give up everything here... just to follow me into any possible unknown?" She asked.

"No hesitation, so you're stuck with us." Camael snickered.

Hearing this, she teared up a bit as they shared a group hug together, which made the Angel of Perseverance show a confident expression as she was given her battle outfit.

Meanwhile with Azazel, the same was happening with him as Penemue helped him prepare... and then she sighed.

"You're not certain about doing this, aren't you?" She stated, closing her eyes.

"Huh, what are you-" Azazel questioned.

"Don't give me that, I'm the Angel of Wisdom after all, so I can tell that you have doubts right now. Something in you is wondering if Lucifer's actually got a point to everything he's done since he left us on that fateful day." Penemue stated.

Upon hearing that, he let out a heavy sigh.

"Every Angel has been created by our Father, the one thing in common was we all believed it was our highest right to serve him, but yet his strongest and first eventually claimed the very power he birthed him with claimed he was in the wrong? Then he even spites his own nature, saving the woman that mattered more to him than even Heaven itself. Finally, Shiva decides to help him despite all of that?" Azazel stated.

Penemue saw him tighten his fist, giving a similar look to his own.

"Have we been blindly faithful to him? When it was just Lucifer opposing him, I thought that wasn't true at all, but now even other Gods are siding with Lucifer's view over his? I feel like I should know, but I don't, and it only makes me think more and more about how I many mistakes I have to atone for and have no idea if they even are mistakes or not. There are a bunch of Angels who are more concerned over Cassiel... and another group who've been talking with me over a similar thing." He continued, closing his eyes.

"Yeah, it makes me honestly believe what you're saying myself... if the Angels themselves are starting to divide over this, what do we fight for anymore? I know Father's not heartless due to how sad he was over Eve's heart breaking, but is Elohim truly the most mature God if even as the oldest one, the others feel Lucifer seems to be more grown up than he is?" Penemue replied, feeling uncertain herself.

Gripping her fist more, she took Azazel's hand and resting her head on his shoulder.

"Penemue?" Azazel said in surprise.

"Maybe this is how the world will answer us, Lucifer's begun a fight, and our victory means things are as we think... but our loss means we've been in the wrong without knowing it. If the latter happens, then let me stay by your side, and we can start over to find a new future for ourselves." She begged, tearing up a bit.

Before he could properly react, she kissed him on the lips, making his wings briefly pop out before they folded themselves back in.

"I think... now I understand why Lucifer decided to do what he did. It's love. To him, his heart was the one thing he couldn't lie to, and... I can't either. Mine feels like its beating for just you, no matter what reasons or lack of reasons it has." Penemue confused, blushing as he looked at him.

Azazel sputtered a bit at his fellow Great Seraph's words.

If anyone were to ask him in the present day if he thought they'd ever be something more at this exact moment, any answer that was related to or counted as a yes would be a complete lie.

* * *

Suichi was shown flying through the sky as he neared the area of the Celtic Pantheon, using one of his eyes to look at the map.

The Gods who lived here had a similar origin to the Nordic Gods, but in a very different way. Human Magicians were practicing magic with the Fairies who lived here, but one day they found a source of divine energy, and tried using it for a magic spell as a group. The end result gave birth to the Celtic Deities that made the fertile land even more green than before.

"Let's see... ah, this is the area." The Water Dragon stated.

"Good, now let's find a safe area to land so we don't upset and of the local Gods here." Lucifer stated.

At that moment, a message appeared on Belphegor's device.

"Aw crap... how do you access this?" He questioned, sweating a bit.

"Lem'me see it." Belphegor mumbled.

Everyone looked to see their Sloth representative finally woke up and opened the message, which she read as she rubbed her eyes.

"Hmm... ah, the Celtic Gods were expecting us. They say feel free to land anywhere that's got wide open spaces." She revealed.

This surprised the group, though Asmodeus gave a slight giggle.

While she still had her swimsuit on to act as her underwear, she was now wearing a loose white T-shirt with a large red-pink heart on it that she tied on the right side like a bandanna normally would. She also had incredibly jean shorts that only had their legs shown through the ripping at the bottom.

"Looks like when you picked up our lazy cutie here, the Shinto Head sent them a message. Killing two birds with a single stone." She realized, nuzzling Belphegor's cheek.

"Please stop..." Belphegor begged quietly.

Suichi found his landing spot, quickly reverting his size to act like Leviathan's scarf once again.

"Alright, what's the main info we need to know about the Gluttony representative?" Lucifer asked.

"His nickname is Lord of the Flies, as a lot of bugs tend to be around him. He must have some kind of sickly-sweet order around him they love." Belphegor explained.

"Oh, so that's where the saying about catching flies with honey comes from." Satan realized.

Lucifuge assumed her shadow as she tried to trace any source of that particular odor... though she found it, her shadow immediately covered her nose from how insanely strong it was.

'Ugh! Gross, this smells like a huge pool of raw, pure molasses! I can't breathe!' She thought, coughing as she retreated.

After everyone saw her return, she held her throat as he made loud audible breaths, making them all feel a bit nervous.

"Whoa, is it that bad?" Lilith asked.

"Do you want to go smell it? I nearly suffocated from getting close!" She answered.

Suichi sighed and flew off Leviathan's neck, getting her attention to his action.

"I'll go wash it off." He offered.

Flying over to the area, he saw the sight of a strawberry blonde munching on some leftover scraps, but not ones that were rotted. A few nearby bugs were seen eating the bits they actually were, with the boy rubbing the head of the ones big enough to have heads he could rub.

"Good thing we've got a big feast for us today, right everyone?" He smiled.

The bugs blinked at him, unsure of what he just said, making him blush.

"Whoops, wrong language." He chuckled.

His voice soon began speaking in a series of sounds, with a speech bubble showing a series of images that translated what he said, this time the insects all understand what he was talking about.

"Ah, there he is. Now it's time for a wash." Suichi stated, inhaling at the end.

The boy suddenly got sprayed on by a bunch of water, making all his fellow bugs move away before it hit them as well. A stench cloud flew up and hit Suichi in the face, making him cough a few times.

'Burning scales! Lucifuge was right, that is a strong molasses smell!' He realized, barely coughing it all out.

"Oh good, the smell's died down." Lucifer said nasally, holding his nose.

The boy and his bugs turned as they saw the Angel and his group walk into view, recognizing him instantly.

"Lucifer, the former Angel of Justice?" He gasped.

"Don't worry, I'm not here to hurt you or anything like that. Although I would like to know your name." Lucifer replied.

"Uh... it's Bashalum, though it's kind of a stupid name." Bashalum revealed.

The Angel kneeled on the ground, meeting the still drenched boy at eye level.

"How about I give you a better one then? It's a name that I wanted to give the Meganeura long ago, Beelzebub." He offered.

Sparkles appeared in the boy's eyes upon hearing that.

"I'm getting a name that was meant for the giant Dragonflies of Mu?" He exclaimed.

He immediately turned to his insect friends, speaking in the same noises again.

Blinking a bit, everyone looked to see another speech bubble form as images appeared inside it, leaving most of the group confused.

"Uh... what is that thing?" Lilith asked.

"Looks like he's speaking the language of insects using magic, while that bubble is just so people who aren't bugs can get a basic idea of what he's trying to say." Lucifer answered.

Right at that moment, before Beelzebub was fully finished talking... his stomach was heard growling.

"Well, this is embarrassing. Anyone willing to buy me some food?" He asked, blushing noticeably.

* * *

Back outside of the town area, Beelzebub was now seen with fresh clothing to replace his wet ones, said clothing being a light blue button up shirt with orange sleeves plus cargo shorts. The amount of food everyone saw him scarf down was terrifying.

On a plate by his side, all of the insects he was with were also seeing eating their own fill, which wasn't as strange since it was a group of many instead of just one person.

"Definitely gluttony, this is normally enough food for 10 people to eat." Asmodeus giggled.

Licking the rest of the plates clean, Beelzebub released a loud burp from his mouth, one that both held and echoed out of his body for about 10 seconds.

"Whoa..." Satan breathed, blinking a bit.

"Nice one, that's the kind of belch you'd normally see a Dragon make!" Suichi praised.

Leviathan face palmed at that one.

"So, why exactly did you come looking for me in the first place?" Beelzebub asked.

"You've been unable to get enough food for your stomach's fill, right? We're about to change that for everyone by fighting against Elohim and giving Humanity the freedom they've been lacking all this time. However, we need certain people, and you're the last one we need. Someone with an incredible amount of gluttony." Lucifer explained.

Beelzebub's eyes widened.

"Wow, that sounds bold, dangerous, and completely insane... I'm in!" He exclaimed, raising a hand.

Smiling a bit, Lucifer stood on his feet.

"And with that, all of us have finally been gathered together." The Angel of Justice exclaimed.

Hearing that, his team all gave their own respective smiles.

"Now, let us return to Japan and head for Tokyo, for now the last stage of what we need to do before I try to search for the power of the Sacred Darkness has come!" He announced.

Suichi grew to his large size one last time, and everyone got on his back. All of Beelzebub's insects flew into a magic circle on his arm that put them in a magical storage for their own protection.

When that was down, the Water Dragon roared before flying into the sky.

* * *

Michael felt the power of Lucifer's group search as they headed towards their set location, turning to the other Great Seraph who were chosen for battle.

"Everyone, it seems Lucifer has finally decided to reach his final destination. We must head for Tokyo now before he does any more damage." He alerted.

"Understood." They all answered.

All of them spread their wings, making all of the lower ranked Angels cheer as they flew off, though some cheers seemed louder than others. The three Great Seraph who stayed behind were silent as they watched.

'Get ready... it's time for you to meet your end.' Elohim thought, staring at his loyal Elite Angels.

He closed his eyes for a moment as he began to reminisce about the past.

* * *

_Elohim gathered some energies, being those of Anima and Animus, ten moved his hands a certain way as he tried to create something._

_After a bit, it took shape._

_"Yes!" He exclaimed, watching his efforts come to fruition at long last._

_Forming from the energies came an androgynous looking creature._

_It was the young Lucifer, his appearance being a male equivalent of what would eventually be his daughter Vali's, and he gave a yawn as his golden wings unfolded for the first time._

_"Huh? What... where am I?" Lucifer asked, soon seeing Elohim._

_"You are my creation, my son..." The God of Light answered._

_Thinking for a moment, he chose his name._

_"The one who is the light bearer of the Angels, the first light I bring to this world. You are... Lucifer, the Angel of Justice." Elohim decided._

_Lucifer looked at him, standing on his feet._

* * *

Tightening his fist, Elohim made a heavy scowl as he stood to reveal the golden armor he was wearing.

"How ironic your name represents what your death will bring. That light you refuse to shine for the world's sake will be freed and used to better this world." He promised.

"Dear... why must you go this far?" Shekhinah asked quietly.

She gave a sad look as he began walking slowly from behind, waiting for the moment his Angels left Lucifer's group on death's door.

"For the glory of Heaven!" Elohim shouted.

With that battle cry, all of the Great Seraphs turned into rays of different colored light as they rushed towards Tokyo.

* * *

Back within the Hindu Pantheon, the sight of Choronzon looking in a certain direction could be seen, getting Shiva's attention.

"Something wrong?" He asked.

"I don't know why, but something... something's telling me to head to Tokyo." She answered.

Realizing what this meant, Shiva smiled.

"Then go to him." He answered with closed eyes.

Choronzon looked at him in surprise, unsure what he meant until he opened his eyes and looked at her with confidence.

"I think you've finally learned your place in the world. Ever since Elohim Created you from the last Fruit of Knowledge, you've been questioning what your purpose was, and after meeting Lucifer... I think your own instincts are telling you what that is." Shiva explained.

"You think so?" Choronzon asked.

He nodded his head, placing out his first, which is when his daughter figure stared and then held up her own. Nodding her head, a fist bump followed before she jumped off Mount Meru, falling through a magic circle.

"This is it, the moment the world will regain the balance that has been disrupted... you must succeed Lucifer!" Shiva exclaimed, aiming it towards the sky.

Across every region of the world, a small group of humans gathered as they began finding themselves drawn to Tokyo by something calling out to them.

One in particular was a man with black hair and purple eyes.

"Whatever this feeling is... something tells me we're all following it for good reason. Then let's see how it turns out." Zekram stated, giving a confident grin.

He soon began to rush ahead from where he was, being the closest to Tokyo.

* * *

Finally arriving in an area of Tokyo that was none other than a destroyed settlement, one that was once... yet also would be Kuoh Town, which was the first sign Lucifer sensed from his virtue of Humanity's current path.

"This is where we needed to be? I'm confused, this is just some ghost town." Lilith questioned.

"We'll be rebuilding it. After all, because here's where the full weight of my plans will begin." Lucifer answered, giving a confident smile to his team.

All of them looked confused.

"Guess the obvious question now is what is your full plan? You're trying to fight Elohim of course, but I guess... wait, this is how we'll be fighting him!" Satan questioned, though quickly realizing it moments after.

Lucifer nodded his head, turning to the group as he took a deep breath.

"My plan begins... at creating our own realm and people!" He exclaimed.

All of them gasped in surprise.

"We're creating our own land... starting from here!?" Leviathan exclaimed.

"Kuoh Town's rebuilt form will be part of our territory on Earth, while also being the closest link to our new home, one that I'll name after one of the two name ideas I loved most that Elohim refused without even bothering to consider it. This land's name will be Hell." He revealed.

"What about that second name? It sounds like you want to use that just as much." Belphegor asked.

Lucifer nodded his head.

"Yes, for the species that will live here that is. After all... the Maou need their Devil citizens to give them the strength to hold Heaven at bay." The Angel of Justice confirmed.

"Seriously?" Asmodeus questioned, shaking in surprise.

"Shiva's right in saying they'd start a war, and that means even if we win... Elohim will quickly fight back. That's why we must create not just our own land, but a species of the Sacred Darkness that will give us the weight that keeps them away after our victory! Not only that, but when both are made, the invisible chains holding Humanity will disappear because our influence will create the freedom everyone needs and desires deep down!" Lucifer exclaimed.

"And the Maou you just mentioned... that must be us, the ones who'll lead them!" Lilith realized.

He only gave a toothy grin, which is when the rest of his team gave similar looks of confidence.

"That's completely insane... but I think you're dreaming big enough that we all believe, so tell us where we start!" Satan shouted confidently.

"Well, be ready... because it's coming our way right now." Lucifer answered.

Everyone soon turned as nine flashes of light appeared, revealing the Great Seraph that were chosen for battle.

"Are those... the Great Seraphs?" Mammon gasped.

"Yes, because for us to succeed in this plan, the first step... is for us to defeat the heavenly virtues that our own sins are opposite to." Lucifer confirmed.

Michael soon looked down on the First Angel who was once one of them.

"It pains me that we must stand against each other, but now... the time has come for you to meet your end for standing against us." Michael apologized, raising his hand.

The Angel of Justice smirked before staring at his fated opponent.

"We're not going to fall today, so hear me as I make this promise." He answered quietly, closing his eyes.

In a moment, he thrust his finger forward to point at him.

"My name is Lucifer, and I'm the Maou of Pride that will change this world forever!" He exclaimed, fully accepting the new title he chose for himself.

* * *

**This is it... Lucifer's Team has fully been assembled, and now it's time to face the Great Seraph in battle, followed by Elohim himself. Now, before anything else, I have to say this about Shin DxD V2... *shakes in fear* Just what kind of monster is Vasco Strada to look like that!? His muscles are so big that it actually freaked me out for while! In hindsight, I'm glad that I changed Shinri to not be so muscular ^^;**

**OK, now that I've cleared all of that from my system... *clears throat* next chapter, the fight between the Heavenly Virtues and the Deadly Sins will finally begin! All of them against their opposite, with the exceptions of Lilith, Cassiel, Lucifuge, and Azazel; their battles are more of them coming to a realization that makes realize what will turn them into the eventual leaders of the Fallen and Demons.**

**As you can see, both of them are already starting to think about who's really in the right here, and a few of the Angels are privately sharing the same thoughts they are. Elohim doesn't even realize the Angels have started splitting by the thirds in their line of thought. Considering that Fallen Angels, Demons, and Devils all have different amount of darkness, it makes sense this is the moment that decides their futures.**

**For those confused about the whole thing with Choronzon's origin? I've searched a lot about her, and while I had trouble finding concrete info, one origin I found tied to her is that she's not only the Devil's wife... but also a corrupted Eve of all things! Regardless of how true it is, I liked the idea, so I used it as a basis for her origins in this story, hence why she's Satan's wife and was created by a Fruit of Knowledge.**

**Until next time everyone, and stay awesome! ^^**


	8. Chapter 8

**This is it, the battle between Heaven and Hell is finally happening as the would be Maou and the yet to be Shinou (not counting Shekhinah, Cassiel and Azazel) do battle to decide the fate of the world and even themselves for the former. While the members of Lucifer's Team may have not expected to fight a battle when they joined him, but they'll still give it their all.**

**Another thing that really gives weight to the fights in this chapter is that aside from Lucifer, his friends, Lucifuge, and Lilith don't have the amazing strength they do after becoming Devils, so they're all fighting against opponents who are much more powerful than they are. I've never really shown this kind of battle in any of my stories, but I've definitely seen enough anime to have a basic idea on how to confidently write such scenes.**

**What excites me most about this chapter is not only will we finally see the first fight for some of the characters here, but they'll be revealing abilities that I had created long ago (except Cassiel's, which was in the original story) for the Great Seraph to use in a different DxD story idea that never happened. The powers you saw Sandalphon, Metatron, and Sariel use are three of those very powers.**

**So, here we go!**

* * *

**()**  - Albion Talking via the Divine Dividing

 **[]**  - Ddraig Talking via the Boosted Gear

 **«»**  - Consciousness of any other Sacred Gear Talking

 **〖〗**  - Voice Speaking through a Magic Circle

 **【】**  - Voice made by an Announcement or through an Announcer

 **「」**  - Insert Song Beginning or Ending

『』 - Electrical Voice or Machine Speaking

* * *

**_Chapter 8 - Might of the Maou_ **

"My name is Lucifer, and I'm the Maou of Pride that will change this world forever!" He exclaimed, fully accepting the new title he chose for himself.

The Great Seraph were all caught off guard by his declaration.

"So, you praise the very sin that's started all of this? I may not your reasoning for that... but it also doesn't change what we must do here and now." Michael replied, sighing as his orange-tipped wings spread out.

"It pains us all in our own ways, but as of this point... we've been left with no choice in the matter." Gabriel agreed, showing her yellow-tipped wings.

Quickly following their two strongest, the other Great Seraph revealed their wings as well. The colors tipping each were revealed to be red for Sandalphon, green for Raphael, and purple for Uriel.

'Here we are. The battle against the Angels representing Humility, Kindness, Patience, Diligence, Charity, Temperance, and Chastity; along with Azazel and Cassiel, who represent Creativity and Perseverance... this won't be easy, but we can succeed!' Lucifer thought.

Upon seeing this, everyone in his group was initially nervous, but Satan was the first to walk up, making a serious expression.

"You better be ready to fight all nine of us then! I am Satan, the Maou of Wrath!" He announced, holding up his fist.

"Satan..." Leviathan breathed.

Briefly glancing at Suichi, who nodded in response, she found her confidence as she walked forward.

"I am Leviathan, the Maou of Envy!" She exclaimed.

With that, the others finally shook off their jitters and began to step forward as well.

"I'm Asmodeus, the Maou of Lust!" Asmodeus exclaimed.

"My name's Beelzebub, the Maou of Gluttony!" Beelzebub shouted, a few of his flies swarming around him.

"Belphegor, the Maou of Sloth..." Belphegor yawned, not even trying to be dramatic.

"And I'm Mammon, the Maou of Greed!" Mammon yelled, flipping a gold coin before catching and showing it.

Lucifuge vanished before reappearing by Lucifer's side, with Lilith being on the side opposite to her.

"I may not represent one of the deadly sins, but I am Lucifuge, a loyal retainer to Lucifer and all his goals!" She announced, making a ninja-like pose with her fingers.

"A-and I'm Lilith, the one that will be his Devil Queen!" Lilith exclaimed.

Readying weapons of light in their hands, all of the Great Seraphs tossed them forward, making Lucifer do the same as they collided.

The result was a bright flash, with Lucifer's group shielding their eyes in advance.

"Mammon, do it now!" The First Angel shouted.

"Right!" He exclaimed, slamming the ground.

As his hands made contact, the land shifted itself and formed crystalline walls. The flash died down... only for each of the Great Seraph to see they were cut off and forced to fight a single member of Lucifer's group alone.

Everyone got the Virtue opposite to their sin, except for Lucifuge and Lilith, who got Azazel and Cassiel respectively.

"No way! They divided us!?" Raphael exclaimed.

"And that means this is now a fair fight! How ironic that out of us, we're the ones that choose to battle in a fair manner!" Lilith exclaimed, pointing at Cassiel.

"I'd be annoyed if we were allowed to have minor distractions, but... too bad we don't." She sighed, holding out her hand.

Lilith felt a slight pressure on her body, realizing that gravity was increasing on her.

"No way... you can manipulate gravity!?" She grunted, having trouble resisting it.

"To truly persevere, one must stand against all the pressure in their way, let us see if you've managed to achieve this feat since you escaped your prison." Cassiel replied.

Grunting once more, the intended First Human woman struggled to regain movement.

* * *

Lucifuge dashed around in her shadow state as Azazel unleashed a flurry of light orbs towards her.

Sweating a bit, she immediately shot ahead with her speed, making Azazel's eyes widened as she disappeared. The female counterpart of Lucifer immediately appeared behind him in the form of recombining photons, only for his battle armor to raise its shoulder blade and fire a laser shot at her.

'What the!?'

The laser hit dead on, making her jump back after she landed on the ground.

"Impossible, your armor shouldn't have a secret compartment like that! I would have sensed it before you even used it!" Lucifuge questioned, trying to figure out what was going on.

"And it doesn't, which is exactly why you didn't see it coming." Azazel answered, turning his head.

Holding out his hand, the retainer of Lucifer gasped as she saw his hand suddenly emit a strange aura before it suddenly glowed like a machine, showing it stretching out like a robotic arm with skin, then a drill, and finally a hand rocket.

The last of them fired, but rather than showing he had an actual prosthetic arm... it simply fired off his aura as a false hand with the mechanical parts attached. Lucifuge tried to dodge it, but after a few evasions, it managed to deal a wallop right in her gut, making her briefly fall on one foot from the pain.

"My Virtue is Creation, and this is my power I call...  _Blazer Shining Aura_ , the aura that lets my body replicate machine enhancements in battle!" He announced.

Lucifuge briefly stared at him.

"I get it... with how you named that power, you're a Chuuni, aren't you?" She bluntly asked.

Azazel gave a surprised shout at that.

"Of course you are. Really, to name your attack what you did when it focuses on somehow giving your body temporarily machine enhancements? Why didn't you just call it something like... I don't know,  _Gadget Box_?" Lucifuge sighed, shaking her head.

"Hmm... Gadget Box, eh? Interesting..." Azazel thought aloud.

Crossing her arms, weak flashes went off as kunai made from reflected light appeared between each of her fingers.

"Regardless of what your power's called, for the sake of Lucifer's dream... for the sake of  _our_  dream... I shall not lose to you!" She exclaimed, rushing ahead.

"Bring it!" He replied, smirking a bit.

Rushing at each other once again, Lucifuge and Azazel clashed, with the latter forming a cybernetic trident powered by his holy energy. It didn't take long before the latter's power started to breach through, making the silver-haired ninja gasp in a justified panic.

* * *

As Cassiel kept pressing the gravity against Lilith's body, it didn't take long before she realized her finger was still able to move somewhat, allowing her to motion it a certain way. The Angel of Perseverance only raised an eye at what she was doing...

That is, until she saw it was a magic circle, which Lucifer's fiancé immediately used to move out of the gravity field.

"No way!" Cassiel gasped.

"I've got you now!" Lilith exclaimed, throwing her hands out.

A few dozen magic circles appeared behind her, each of them firing a beam at the future Demon Queen's unguarded form.

" **Gravity Bind!** "

Her own gravity was immediately pressed around her from every angle, becoming a barrier against the attack, yet barely feeling the increased weight on her own form. While it was partially because it wasn't as strong as what she used against Lilith, her own virtue likely represented how well she could handle it.

"No way!" Lilith exclaimed.

"If there's one thing I can praise Lucifer for, it's that he's always taken the kind of risks we Angels all learned to do ourselves! Unfortunately, it seems that despite being the one he loves..." Cassiel replied.

Motioning her hand again, Lilith immediately jumped back... only for the motion to be diagonally upwards, causing her movement to leave her in the next gravity wave's range. Lilith was immediately shot into Mammon's wall before Cassiel continued moving her hand in multiple directions.

She screamed as multiple gravity waves followed, attacking and striking her from every direction her hand did as she was left completely defenseless from the onslaught.

"You haven't seemed to learn that!" She shouted, swinging both hands down like a hammer.

A powerful burst came out instead of a wave this time, immediately launching Lilith into the ground with such speed that it left a huge crater.

The Angel of Perseverance still wasn't done and pushed to the ground, actually feeling natural gravity push her away as she did. Lilith was further pressed into the crater she indirectly created, screaming as her body started to look noticeably pressed into the Earth's surface.

'Lucifer... please, help me...' She begged, starting to shed tears.

* * *

Asmodeus stood before Sariel, who cracked her knuckles with an annoyed look on her face.

"How annoying that you're the one I have to fight." She stated.

"Oh? But the two of us have only just met today, so how could fighting me be a problem for you?" Asmodeus questioned, looking confused.

The Angel of Chastity's forehead gained a vein in response.

"Really? It isn't obvious to you at all?" Sariel asked.

"Not at all." Asmodeus replied, completely clueless.

Releasing an angry yell in response, the Maou of Lust immediately flinched a bit as the furious Angel pointed at her.

"Do you see how much skin you're exposing? Do you have no modesty!?" Sariel screamed.

Blinking a bit, her opponent finally realized what was wrong.

"Ah, now I get it. You're the Angel who represents Chastity as her virtue. It's... no... wonder." Asmodeus teased, lifting her own breasts each time she said the last three words.

"That's it! Forget what Father tells me to do, because I'm not letting a flashing freak like you stay alive! He can just have the others!" Sariel roared, her eyes blazing with flames.

She immediately turned invisible, surprising Asmodeus as she tried to figure out where she went.

'Oops... in hindsight, maybe that was pushing things a bit too far.' She thought, chuckling nervously.

A beam immediately fired from the side, striking Asmodeus' left arm with a searing burn that made her scream before she grabbed it, shaking as it still emitted steam after she covered it with her right hand.

"There she is!" The future Maou realized, turning her head.

Asmodeus held out her left hand, releasing a wind made of light blue pheromones in the direction of the beam... only for it to hit nothing!

'She's already moved to a different part of the battlefield? How fast is she!?" She thought.

"If you think you'll find me that easily when I'm using my  _Veiled Assassin_  ability, then you're dead wrong! And I'm not able to be affected for those little pheromones in your breeze either!" Sariel's voice echoed out.

More beams shot out from every direction, making the Maou of Lust gasp as she barely dodged the first wave with her flexibility. Their numbers easily surpassing what Lucifer had faced when rescuing Lilith.

'How do I fight someone if I can't even see them while they're able to freely attack me!?' She questioned.

* * *

Uriel simply stood in place, making Beelzebub look confused by the Angel's lack of actions towards him.

"Any reason you're not moving?" He asked.

"I am the Angel of Temperance, managing my actions is what I do best. There's no reason for me to move because you haven't given me one." Uriel answered.

Beelzebub sweated at that, realizing that Uriel wasn't going to make the first move.

'I doubt waiting things out will work either, because then the other Angels can swarm me alongside him... guess I'm forced to attack first if I want to have any chance!' He realized, sweating a bit.

Holding out his hands, it wasn't long before Uriel heard loud buzzing sound. That's when he saw all of Beelzebub's little friends leave their magical storage.

"Ah, so you're that boy everyone called Lord of the Flies, aren't you?" Uriel realized.

"Call me what you want, but you can't fight me with my bug buddies aiding me!" Beelzebub announced.

He began speaking insect language again, this time not forming a thought bubble to avoid giving away his plan. The Angel of Temperance was honestly confused by that until the sight of the bugs entering a formation was seen.

"Fighting me through a language I can't understand is your plan I presume? I'll admit that Humanity has that advantage." Uriel admitted.

As the swarm neared him, he held out his hand towards them.

"Unfortunately for you, that isn't enough against the power of my virtue!" The Angel exclaimed.

" **Restrict Binding!** "

All of the bugs and even Beelzebub himself soon felt strange chain markings appear across their bodies, completely locking them in place as the markings glowed a bright blue.

"W-what is this!?" He grunted.

"My power allows me to control the movements and powers of those I fight against. You and your bugs are now in time out." Uriel explained.

Growling a bit, he recalled his ability to speak with bugs was one he naturally developed, and started using it again.

"And... that's not a power, is it?" The Angel realized.

His answer came in the form of spiders and scorpions crawling from underground, which either sting him or began spewing out their webs to lock his movements both internally and externally.

"Now you can't move either!" Beelzebub exclaimed.

Uriel smirked, which is when the Maou of Gluttony noticed his body gaining the same markings, but they glowed red instead, and then... his body (albeit awkwardly) managed to defy its bindings and temporary paralysis.

"My power works on myself as well, making it useful if I'm the one who can't move." Uriel replied, smirking a bit.

"Aw crap..." Beelzebub realized.

* * *

Mammon formed crystal swords around his hands to block a holy spear thrown by Raphael, allowing him to reflect it right back at the Angel of Charity, who was forced to shift his body to the side.

"I'm impressed, for you to create an entire arena of diamonds to force us all into single match ups and then use refraction. Only a high knowledge of alchemy and scientific study can yield such results." Raphael praised.

"Your words mean nothing to me, so called Angel of Healing." Mammon replied, spite in his voice.

Raphael was surprised at his words, never expecting to hear any Human answer him with such... hatred laced in their voice. Not only that, but the amount of it he felt was just so chilling that he felt goosebumps on his arms.

"For you to not understand why we've all sided with Lucifer... for you to not understand the pain we've endured because of all of you in Heaven running things? I won't even bother with explaining it." Mammon answered.

The Angel of Charity's eyes briefly widened at that, feeling more surprise from that then he had from his previous response.

'Is this boy saying that everyone who's sided with Lucifer did so because they're angry at us Angels instead of trying to get revenge or overthrow us? I'm not sure why anyone would feel that way about Heaven, but I shouldn't think much about it right now. If this were a major problem, then more than six people would have joined him in this crusade of theirs.' Raphael thought.

He closed his eyes, making a strange star-shaped magic circle appear on the ground, which got Mammon's attention.

'Uh oh, this must be the power based on how he's the Angel of Charity.' He realized.

" **Gifted Phantom!** "

Forming from the magic star was a large Basilisk made of translucent golden energy, making the Maou of Greed pale from the sight, quickly having his face go blue from shock and horror.

"H-how did you make a... wait, Gifted Phantom?" Mammon questioned, suddenly realizing the name's connection.

"This ability of mine allows me to manifest a silhouette of anyone I've every aided or healed in some manner, which in turn imprints an image in this magic star of mine. I basically have the aid from everyone I've helped with the one downside being only one can be summoned at a time." The Angel of Charity explained.

'And you just happened to help a freaking Basilisk!' His opponent thought.

Basilisks had the common misconception of killing at a glance, but it was because running into one was often still a death sentence for those unlucky enough. The downside was their eyes were still dangerous.

If they glared at you while making eye contact, you'd froze for a moment, long enough that the serpent could end your life.

"But it's not good enough against me." Mammon exclaimed

He closed his eyes, making Raphael closely analyze him.

'Let's see... ah, he must be relying on the ground to tell where me and the Basilisk are without the glare. Too bad it won't matter.' He realized.

Whistling a bit, he began concentrating as the Basilisk began to slither... in the air!

Mammon immediately noticed the hissing sound, but noticed nothing from the ground, not even the sound of it slightly shifting from the heavy creature's body. That left him wide open as it constricted him like an Anaconda would.

"I swear a cheap trick was involved in this! I completely swear it!" He complained, struggling to breath.

* * *

Metatron's body was shifting slightly as she took a battle stance, with Belphegor lazily looking in her direction.

"If you think I'll be caught off guard by your calm demeanor, then I'm sorry to say it isn't going to fool me." Metatron chuckled, focusing her sight towards her.

"Apparently it did, because you're wrong. Making a plan would be too much work." Belphegor replied, cleaning her ear.

Metatron froze as she blinked at that.

"Eh?" The Angel of Diligence blinked.

Belphegor just lazily yawned, making her opponent just stare at her, feeling a sweat drop form on her face.

"Has it not come to you or your fellow Angels yet? Mammon and Lucifer set everyone, the exceptions being Lilith and Lucifuge, with the Angel whose virtues are opposite to our respective sins. With that knowledge, which sin am I?" She questioned.

"Wait... you're just being lazy!?" Metatron exclaimed, her left eye twitching.

Belphegor nodded her head, making the Angel of Diligence's face freeze in a strange smile as her mind struggled to register what she had just heard.

"No matter, if you're not going to put in any effort, then I'll just take you out here and now!" She exclaimed.

Making a motion with her foot, Belphegor's eye immediately glinted. The Angel of Diligence quickly moved behind her and prepared for a Holy Sword attack... only for Belphegor to move her hand and catch her arm before she even formed it.

'What just happened!?' Metatron thought.

Swinging her foot to deal another strike, but the Maou of Sloth simply sighed as she swung one of her feet up, immediately meeting her the Angel's foot and causing her to be knocked near the wall.

"Twice in a row? How are you predicting my every move!?" She questioned.

"I'm not. All that happened was I saw how you were motioning your body, because only an expert in physical combat is subtle enough to not predict their movements. Although if I were serious about this then I'd probably still likely see it coming." Belphegor shrugged.

Metatron's eyes widened.

'Her sin is Sloth, but yet she has the kind of talent that would let me use my virtue at its very peak! Just why is she wasting it all!?' The Angel of Diligence thought.

Belphegor sighed at that reaction.

"Maybe you like all the gifts you have, but it seems you never considered some don't want theirs." She stated.

"Don't want their talents? Honestly, that only makes it sound like you're as lazy as you look." Metatron glared.

Her aura immediately flared out, making Belphegor sweat a bit.

" **Extreme Acceleration!** "

Like she once had used against Lucifer ages ago, her aura shot out in a form with eyes, and Belphegor immediately found herself overwhelmed at the massive number of them compared to back then.

'Uh oh, this might be an issue for me...' Belphegor realized, sweating a little.

Realizing dodging wasn't going to happen, she crossed her arms to defend, grunting as the attack pierced into her skin, which was only protected by her aura overlaying itself as a form of protection.

The real strength of Metatron's attack wasn't made clear until the moment she hit the diamond wall behind her... because it cracked a bit.

'Oh crap... this is bad.' She realized.

* * *

Satan roared in anger as he rushed ahead, unleashing a wave of shadows as Sandalphon calmly dodged every burst, smiling normally during each time.

"Damn you, stay still!" He roared.

"You're so aggressive. If you keep that up, I doubt you'll get anywhere." She replied, flashing a teasing smirk.

Hearing that and taking it as an insult, Satan exploded into a roaring scream before he punched the ground.

Sandalphon paled a bit as it shattered like a group of broken puzzle pieces, making her flap her wings to get around it safely, annoying the Maou of Wrath even more than she already had.

"I think you need to learn how lashing out without thinking is bad." The Angel of Patience sighed.

Clapping her hands, Satan felt a vein formed on his head.

"Shut up, you stupid piece of-" He roared, rushing forward.

*"BANG!"*

The black-haired Maou was launched into the air, making Sandalphon watch as he flew up into the air, crashing into the ground with dangerous force.

"What the hell!?" He questioned, unaware he just coining the term's usage in the future.

"You just saw my  _Brave Impact_ , my signature ability. I'm able to set energy traps anywhere within my vicinity that can be set off whenever you get too close. If you aren't going to take your time, then you have no chance of beating me, because even Lucifer struggles when he's careful with them... at least when it was in its weaker form." Sandalphon answered.

"No freaking way! That's a freaking cheap trick! All you are is a big cheater!" Satan screamed.

Sandalphon felt slight pain from that last comment, but only gave an awkward chuckle in reply.

'I get the feeling that I shouldn't get closer to the ground for a while...' The Angel thought.

Jumping off the ground, Satan tried to reach his opponent again, only for another energy trap to explode itself, unleashing a vacuum of energy that sent him shooting back towards the ground.

* * *

Unlike the others, Suichi had managed to stay with Leviathan as they stood across from Gabriel, but the Dragon seemed a little apprehensive.

"What's wrong, you seem... nervous?" She asked.

"I couldn't tell when they were together, but... this Angel is definitely the strongest of the group." He answered.

Leviathan's eyes widened.

"Are you serious? I thought Michael was the one who succeeded Lucifer's position!?" The Maou of Envy exclaimed.

The Water Dragon closed his eyes.

"But it also doesn't mean you're the strongest. It isn't unlike how among the deadly sins, Lucifer claimed he considers yours ranked second despite Satan is stronger than you." Suichi explained.

Leviathan paused at that, realizing the logic after thinking of it as her envy over Lucifer not being her opponent showed through a glare.

'Of course this happened, Humility and Kindness are the highest two virtues, which means either she was kind enough to let him be the leader, or he's not admitting he's the strongest or the leader to be humble... this is just perfect.' She thought.

Gabriel's wings spread out, and she looked at her opponent with kind eyes.

"If I'm to be honest, there's no pleasure of excitement for me to fight you or anyone else among your group, and I'd rather not fight you at all if I could convince Father to stand down." She apologized.

"Then... why fight us at all?" Leviathan questioned, raising an eye.

"On some level, I understand why Lucifer did what he's been doing ever since Lilith was imprisoned. I was able to clearly tell he would leave us... knew that he would kill Raziel to prove how serious he was, even though he'd regret it. However, the Angels are my family, and I can't bring myself to leave them. All I could do... was convince our Mother to try and have Father leave him alone." Gabriel explained.

Hearing that, the Maou of Envy gave a silent gasp, surprised any of the Angels still had her loyalty to Heaven yet also believed in Lucifer's actions.

'I get it, they must have been close enough that she knew the reasoning behind his actions. Gabriel must be like a sister who has to say goodbye to an older sibling once they need to walk their own path.' Leviathan realized, feeling some sympathy.

"And for that same reason, I know Lucifer's reasons for what he's doing have to be good in some way. He's still the Angel of Justice no matter what. Yet, despite that fact..." The Angel of Kindness continued, sighing a bit.

"Don't worry, I get it. You can't exactly defy Elohim when you want to protect your fellow Angels." The Maou of Envy replied.

Sighing a bit, she began materializing water in midair.

"Honestly? I kind of envy you for that, so no hard feelings when I kick your ass." Leviathan stated.

Gabriel nodded, taking a deep breath.

It was seconds after when a loud scream came out of her mouth, with the duo covering their ears at the powerful noise wailing in their ears. Leviathan grunted a bit before unleashing a flood of water from the air, but rather than crashing over the Angel like expected?

The sound burst through, actually  _amplified_  by the water instead of hindered, which only threw the Maou of Envy into Suichi's body.

"What the crap was that?" She asked.

"My special power, the  _Holy Voice of Purity_ , which has the power to purify and cleanse those who deserve. However, it can also be a weapon against the wicked." Gabriel revealed.

Suichi shook his head.

"As for what your water did? My ears were ringing too much for me to warn you sound travels better in water." He explained.

Leviathan blushed at her mistake.

"Well, now I can believe Suichi's claim on you being stronger than Michael..." She winced.

"Don't let my virtue mislead you. Kindness doesn't make someone weak, and if anything, it's because I'm kind... that I'm the only Angel who understands when someone asks me to end their suffering." Gabriel replied.

Hearing that made Leviathan's eyes widened, realizing what that meant.

'Wow, I'll admit that's very brave... and something I'm more afraid than envious of doing myself.' She admitted, chuckling nervously.

Opening her mouth once more, Leviathan gasped as she began to panic, unsure how to defend herself against her voice this time.

'I... don't know what to do!' She thought, feeling afraid.

"Leviathan, watch out!" Suichi roared, rushing ahead.

The voice immediately struck the Water Dragon, making him roar in agony a huge explosion released from his body, surprising both sides as he suddenly fell over, his body slowly starting to fade away.

Upon seeing the sight before her, a shadow formed over her face before finally... Leviathan screamed a weaker version of her reaction to Ingvild's possible death.

* * *

Lucifer and Michael stood across from one another, making a tense moment between the former and current leaders of the Great Seraphs.

"This is the first time we've ever had to fight each other seriously, hasn't it?" Lucifer admitted.

"It has, we never truly fought each other aside from light spars without using our holy light or our magic. Now we've truly been placed in a situation where this is a true fight." Michael confirmed.

Lucifer formed a lance of light and spun it around, staring off against the Angel of Humility with a powerful gaze in his eyes.

'Because we've never fought or worked on a job together, I don't know what kind of ability Michael's virtue is.' He thought.

"This is it Lucifer... let us do battle." The Angel of Humility replied.

**「** **Bungou Stray Dogs: Season 2 Opening** **」**

With that, the golden-winged Angel nodded his head in agreement as he took the first step.

Both of them rushed ahead, flying through the sky as they began clashing with their weapons of light, which left them both evading and missing for a good while. Finally, Lucifer managed to rush in too close for Michael to dodge.

"I've got you now!" He exclaimed, throwing his spear forward.

" **Null Equalizer!** "

The attack managed to hit him, but did less damage than expected as he was knocked to the ground... while the ground around him was torn apart completely!

"How did..." Lucifer questioned.

The First Angel quickly ceased his question, realizing exactly what happened.

"I get it, your virtue manifests as the ability to lessen damage that hits you. A symbol of your humility that admits your lack of strength by instead protecting yourself from most of the damage you take." He realized.

"That is correct. As long as it isn't something an Angel or I myself is weak to, the attack won't do as much damage as it normally would. If you were the sword for Heaven, then I was its shield." Michael confirmed.

Lucifer then saw his power flow out, making him grit his teeth as he recognized it.

"However, this power you should be familiar with since it was once yours. The lead Angel is the only one who is graced with the power tied to the virtue of Faith!" He continued.

And Michael was right. Many could question why Lucifer didn't have a use for his virtue in combat like the others, but it was because he had a second for his former role.

The virtue of Faith's power... the ability to turn one's beliefs, their hope, and their passion into power to enhance them. Lucifer was simply that much stronger when he still served Heaven, and now that Michael was wielding this power?

"Leviathan, if you're complaining that Gabriel is the Angel I should be fighting, then you don't know how wrong that is." He said to himself.

Spreading his wings out, he concentrated a massive group of large light spheres that made Michael's eyes widen.

" **Light of the Morning Star!** "

Tossing them forward, they all rushed at Michael with incredible speed, hitting him before he could evade.

" **Lightspeed!** "

And then he rushed at Michael faster than he could react, only for him to suddenly widen his eyes in pain as Michael's fist embedded itself in his gut.

"Just because you wielded this power once, doesn't mean you know how to fight against it." The Angel of Humility warned.

Coughing a bit, Lucifer smirked a bit.

"Yeah, guess this isn't going to be as easy as I thought... but that won't stop me from trying either!" He admitted, still smiling with confidence.

Michael was surprised, but released a light sigh in response.

**「** **Insert Song End** **」**

With that, both of them rushed forward to continue their battle... until Leviathan's scream reached his ears, making him turn to see the sight of his team all on the losing end of their battles.

"Seems like you're the ones on the losing end, Lucifer... think it's time you admit that." Michael suggested.

In response to that, the First Angel just smirked.

"You know Michael, it surprises me you'd think that." He answered.

"Hmm?" Michael blinked.

"Simple, back when I was still in Heaven... who told you that you should never give up as long as there's still a trace of fight in you?" Lucifer reminded him.

The Angel of Humility questioned why he'd say that right now of all times, but it made him nervous.

* * *

Leviathan kneeled by Suichi's side, realizing what was happening, knowing she couldn't help him like when they first met that fateful day long ago.

'I don't get it? My voice shouldn't be able to damage a Dragon's soul like that, unless... was it was already damaged?' Gabriel thought as she looked at the sight, unable to bring herself to move or act.

"Suichi... why did you do that?" Leviathan asked, tears shedding from her eyes.

The Water Dragon struggled to look at her, panting as he felt his life slip away.

"Because... I was keeping... a promise... one that I made... the day you showed me... your kindness." He answered, trying to smile a bit.

Leviathan looked confused by that.

"Of all the time we... knew each other, back when you... were still Tsufaame? I... never told you... of my past." Suichi continued.

He wheezed a bit, though soon continued.

"There was a time... I was not the kind Dragon you've... come to know me as. I was brutal... bloodthirsty even, and... how I was injured? I wasn't caught... in crossfire at all. What really happened... was a Dragon punished me, and... broke my soul before leaving me to die." Suichi confessed.

"You... what!?" Leviathan gasped.

"I razed many... innocent lives, and... all for simply... satisfying my own hunger. As such, when I was... left on what I thought as my... death bed? I accepted it... until you came." He continued.

He gave a slight chuckle, smiling at her friend.

"You risked yourself to link your soul to mine, stabilizing the damage... and that's when I made a vow... to never fight or eat anything smaller... than I was. You changed me... that's why, I promised myself if your life was ever at risk... I'd return the favor." Suichi stated.

"Idiot... that's what you are. A big idiot! You didn't have to do that for me!" Leviathan exclaimed, tears flowing from her eyes.

Suichi's body started fragmenting away, making her cry more as Gabriel herself felt tears come to her eyes at the horrible sight.

"Don't cry Leviathan, because... I will always... be with you." He replied, closing his eyes and smiling for the last time.

At that moment, his body disappeared before one fragment of his soul flew out, then shot itself into her body, making her gasp as she felt something in her body change... and then make her release a roaring scream.

**「** **Shadow the Hedgehog: I Am All of Me** **」**

"Lucifer... as of now, I promise you... I'll make your dream happen no matter what!" She promised at the top of her lungs, beginning to glow.

" **Sea Serpent Dragon Tail!** "

Her body immediately flashed as Gabriel gasped, seeing her transform into a large Water Dragon that was a mixture of Western and Eastern in appearance, resembling a Plesiosaur with a Dragon's head.

It also had spike-like growths with fin membranes in between, and some tendrils resembling the whiskers of a catfish that likely acted like an Elephant's trunk and Human hands did. The most notable thing about this form of Leviathan's, however? It was triple the size that Suichi was!

"That link between their souls... he gave up what was left of himself to give her a new power!" The Angel of Kindness realized, slightly in awe.

"Gabriel, this fight's only gotten started! Prepare yourself to show you and every Angel the power you gave Humanity at its fullest! I will honor Suichi with this form and every fiber of my power!" Leviathan shouted.

*"ROAR!"*

Lunging herself forward, somehow moving as if the ground was wet and she was simply sliding across it, Leviathan immediately created a flood with as much water as a tsunami or a rogue wave!

" **Holy Voice of Purity!** "

Releasing her voice once more, Gabriel aimed at Leviathan, who simply opened her mouth to reveal a magic circle with a unique image as a crest to represent the Maou of Envy herself.

After she did, the water turned to ice, causing the voice to bounce around and then turn itself right back at its caster. The Angel of Kindness gasped before she was knocked back.

"She can use ice as well as water now? Water might enhance my voice's power, but ice just bounces it around!" Gabriel exclaimed, struggling to get back up.

Taking a deep breath and charging magical power through a light blue glow in her mouth, Leviathan immediately lunged her head to aim at the Angel that was her opponent, emitting a bright flash from it.

" **Celsius Cross Trigger!** "

A loud shout was heard as the entire area was frozen in ice, shaking a bit before Gabriel fell over, her eyes in a spiral shape from the huge surge of power. The Maou of Envy soon reverted to her true form.

"How did... you like... that?" Leviathan questioned, panting heavily.

* * *

Satan rushed ahead, meeting the same result as before as he continued to be constantly bombarded by the energy traps he kept rushing into.

"Are you seriously going to repeat the same failing result hoping it will change? That's like trying to do everything the same with a recipe and expecting it to fix what you're doing wrong." Sandalphon sighed.

"I don't care! You don't know what it's like to struggle, so all I can do is keep going!" He screamed.

Once again, he charged... only to face another explosion as he hit an energy trap, and this time it seemed like he had finally hit his limit from it.

"No, this isn't... the end." Satan grunted, struggling to push himself up.

He collapsed back onto the ground, feeling his eyes start to close as Sandalphon prepared to walk away, already believing she had won.

"Get up Satan!"

"That voice..." He realized, managing to stay awake.

Looking to a distance, both he and Sandalphon saw Choronzon standing from a distance, but it wasn't just her as Satan quickly recognized many others by her side.

"I remember those kids... they were all there that day." The Maou of Wrath recalled.

"You said we'd continue things where we left off, didn't you? Then show us you can beat him! You have more power than this, now let that fire inside you burn, explode your rage at its fullest!" Choronzon shouted, smirking at him.

Satan furrowed his brow, growling as he felt his power return to him, not wanting to let everyone down or be mocked for failing by the girl he'd eventually marry one day.

"That's right... I am the Maou of Wrath, my rage is my power... that burning fury won't be extinguished just like this!" He screamed, his aura exploding out.

"Why are these people here supporting this guy? Even more, how is his power surging now? I thought he was at his limit?" Sandalphon questioned, feeling sweat drip down her face.

Rushing forward with adrenaline pumping through his veins, Satan charged at his opponent one more, but the Angel of Patience smirked a bit as another energy trap set off.

Except to her shock, Satan grabbed it as it released its power against him.

"Not... this... time!" He roared, starting to squeeze it like crushing a soda can.

Forming his darkness around it, he immediately crushed the exploding energy into nothing, making Sandalphon scream as for the first time in her life... she felt own virtue slipping from the panic.

"I won't let it end like this! Y-you haven't seen my powers secret ace!" She exclaimed.

Smashing her hands together, all of the energy traps immediately charged at the black-haired Maou, immediately trapping within a concentrated cage of the Angel's signature power. He screamed as the power struck him continuously.

"You can do it!" Zekram shouted, appearing by Choronzon's side.

"Huh? Where'd you come from?" She asked, blinking a few times.

Growling loudly, darkness began leaking out of the cage, making Sandalphon gasp as now only did it keep pouring... it began to change! It was no longer mere darkness, it was a wave of nothingness laced with a dark storm only visible in space.

"It's like... the power of a black hole mixed with dark energy and dark matter! Just how is he generating this power!?" She panicked.

Satan immediately burst free, and began channeling everything he had into one form.

"This is for everyone! Our freedom, and our future!" He exclaimed.

At that moment, a surge of shock waves made from darkness formed, making the area within the battlefield look like nightfall had come with a full moon illuminating it. Sandalphon let out a pained yell as the darkness overwhelmed her.

When the storm of power finally burst to end the attack, the Angel of Patience crashed onto the ground, shaking a bit as she looked at her.

"Father, I have... been defeated..." She apologized.

Immediately collapsing, everyone who watched began to cheer at Satan's victory, making him give a toothy grin as he rose a hand up.

"He won." Zekram grinned.

"You know, I could actually fall for this hothead." Choronzon stated.

All of the crowd looked at her in surprise.

* * *

Belphegor heard what happened with Leviathan and Satan, making her close her eyes briefly as she decided to do something she hadn't done for a long time...

Get serious.

"You seemed to find it strange that I wouldn't use my talents to the fullest, so let me ask you this? Would you find joy in victory if you were never able to lose without forcing it to happen?" She questioned, raising an eye.

"Of course I wouldn't, to always win means you don't know what it's like to..." Metatron answered, only to suddenly pause.

And it finally hit her, why Belphegor was being lazy.

"No way... are you saying that you're so talented that you can't lose at anything you try?" The Angel of Diligence realized, her eyes widening.

The Maou of Sloth closed her eyes.

"Having all that talent looked fun at first, but it was brief as a seeing a butterfly leave its cocoon and fly away. I stopped enjoying everything and slacked off because it showed how I felt very well. Empty of any joy. Only when I found video games that had limits my talents couldn't affect did I feel happy again, because for once... they were useless, and I was glad about it." Belphegor explained.

'Even I've lost before, but... it's because I lose that winning is still enjoyable to me. It never dawned to me that someone could feel their blessings are a curse.' Metatron thought.

At that moment, Belphegor opened her eyes, and this time she didn't look tired or like a slacker in the slightest.

"Yet now that I've fought you and seen what else is in this world beyond mere competition? When the situation calls it... I've finally found a reason to push farther when the situation calls for it. Prepare yourself Metatron, because as of now, you see what the Maou of Sloth is capable when you finally wake her up!" She exclaimed, her aura flaring.

"No way... how can a Human have such raw power!?" The Angel questioned.

Pushing forward, she saw Belphegor grab into her attack, making her aura's eyes gain a sad look to represent their panic as she dug her fingers in.

" **Crack!** "

With one mighty pull... she managed to tear Metatron's power in half, dispelling it completely as the Angel of Diligence felt her body shake. The Humans who were meant to be weak yet choose the path their unique power of adaptability gave them?

She was seeing firsthand just what kind of potential they had from someone who was merely born with it. One who only used it because  _she_  pushed her to it.

"Game over." Belphegor whispered.

Before Metatron could even react, she coughed out some spit as the Maou of Sloth's fist dug into her with speed and power that her eyes and mind failed to follow or register... and then she collapsed on the ground.

'Humanity... they truly are strong. It's no wonder why Lucifer chose these six to aid him.' She thought before blacking out.

* * *

As Mammon was squeezed, he began to feel his oxygen nearly run out.

'Damn it, why don't I have some kind of needle I can stab into this energy snake to make it drop me!' He questioned.

Right as he thought that, he mentally groaned.

'Of course I do, it's inside of my body! I just need to sharpen it!' Mammon realized, feeling stupid.

" **Gold... Rush!** "

The fortune he absorbed into his body was quickly focused to his skin, making the Basilisk silhouette scream in pain as it felt sharp golden spikes jut into it. Mammon quickly retracted everything back in before reforming his crystal blades around his hands.

"Now, take this!" He exclaimed, slashing it in half.

"Impossible..." Raphael breathed, shaking in fear.

Mammon glared at him, while the Angel of Charity quickly summoned another ally, and... that was his greatest mistake.

The one he chose to summon from his magic star? It was someone Mammon knew better than anyone, including Lucifer.

"You... how dare you Rudiger for this battle!" He shouted angrily.

Raphael showed surprise at this.

"Wait... you mean you know this young Magician?" He questioned.

"Of course I do, he was my brother... the one you Angels caused the death of because your own rules kept me from getting him the treatment he needed to survive!" Mammon revealed.

At that moment, the Angel of Charity felt his eyes dilate as he froze.

"What? He's... dead? That can't be, if he was sick, then why didn't anyone ask me to come and help him!?" Raphael questioned, slightly in denial.

"You idiot... you think it was free? Your charity was only for lending money I could use, and it wasn't enough for me get enough in time!" Mammon retorted.

"Then why didn't you request for-" Raphael inquired.

He was shut up by the Maou of Greed throwing a stone at his head, making him wince in pain.

"I did, but they told me to make that... was considered greedy!" He screamed.

"You... can't be serious?" The Angel of Charity gasped.

Mammon shook his head, glaring at him before making his charge, which left Raphael wide open due to his shock.

"Do you not get it? It's just as Lucifer told you and your brethren... Elohim does err!" He shouted.

The Angel was soon struck had by a diamond coated fist, with his body falling onto his back at the Maou of Greed walked away from him, sniffling heard as he began crying.

"Have things truly grown... so an innocent would suffer from not getting access to help we could have given?" Raphael questioned, holding his stomach in pain.

* * *

Realizing the others were gaining their second winds, the Maou of Gluttony wondered how to use his sin here... and then gasped.

"Duh, I should have considered trying to eat magic!" Beelzebub realized.

"W-w-wait a second... did you just say you'll eat it!?" Uriel exclaimed.

And in a few seconds, the Angel of Temperance found how serious Beelzebub was when he moved his head and began chewing at the glow of the markings, causing him to break a chain link in the markings.

Before he knew it, Uriel screamed as he slurped the entire markings, freeing him and his entire insect forces in one go.

"I can't believe you ate my magic!" He shouted.

Releasing a huge burp from his mouth, the Maou of Gluttony licked the air a bit.

"Tasty magic no less." Beelzebub chuckled.

"You think I want to know that fact!?" Uriel screamed, looking slightly annoyed.

"Alright then, how about you check out my new trick?" He inquired.

Blinking at the Maou's words, it didn't take long before the Angel saw all of the insects starting to swarm around him, but this time? They showed they were bonded to his magic and his body more directly.

"W-wait, don't tell me that those bugs are really..." Uriel realized.

" **King of the Flies!** "

Merging as one, the Angel saw Beelzebub transformed into a gigantic fly, though one that didn't match normal ones since it had no proboscis and seemed like a monster you'd see in the yet to be created Hell.

"Oh boy... I think you may have just given me insectophobia, or at least megaloinsectophobia..." Uriel remarked.

"Wait until you see this!" The Maou of Gluttony exclaimed.

He immediately unleashed powerful flames resembling gas clouds from his wings.

"Flames can't beat me!" Uriel shouted.

The Angel of Temperance immediately blasted out his own flames, but he quickly released when their attacks locked that the nature of Beelzebub's currently form made the flames a bit... special as they neared him.

Which was they were burning him like a certain kind of substance often found in the dangers of snakes and certain insects.

"Oh God, these flames are poisonous!" He screamed.

Uriel quickly fell over and twitched, his skin turning cyan from the venom in his system.

"Don't worry, that poison isn't lethal! The worst you'll get is nausea!" Beelzebub stated.

And right on cue, Uriel began dry heaving.

* * *

Sariel panicked a bit, realizing that most of her fellow Angels had lost against their respective opponents, leaving only herself, Michael, Azazel and Cassiel left.

"Damn it! Well if you expect that you have a chance now, you're wrong!" She exclaimed.

'I hate to say it, but this Angel's right. I still don't have a way to tell where-' Asmodeus thought.

Her nose suddenly started to sniff something out.

'Wait, that smell? Where's it coming from? It's strange, but it smells like panic almost.' She thought, blinking a bit.

That's when it hit her.

" **Divine Rain!** "

Sariel's lasers shoot off again, but this time Asmodeus closed her eyes and simply smiled as she took in another smell, this time dodging them with ease where she had once struggled.

"No way!" The Angel of Chastity exclaimed, questioning how it was possible.

Realizing that another attack was coming, Sariel immediately prepared to move herself towards another location before the attack struck her... only for it to aim not where she was, but where she was about to be!

And right on target, she was struck, making her scream as she briefly reappeared before vanishing again.

"Yes, just as I thought!" Asmodeus cheered.

"What!? Impossible, there's no way you can see or hear my movements to know where I am!" Sariel exclaimed.

"Neither of which I found you with. I may not notice you with my eyes or hear you with my ears... but turning invisible doesn't mean my nose can't notice your scent!" Asmodeus revealed.

The Angel gasped at that, immediately smelling herself to verify it... and she did still have a scent.

"How could your nose even pick that up? I don't stink enough for you to notice!" Sariel questioned.

"Oh, but you do. The moment you panicked? It made your body secret a certain pheromone, and that's the smell I used to find you, because as the Maou of Lust... that's a smell I've learned to pick for the sake of all the people I wanna make happy!" Asmodeus answered.

Hearing that, the Angel of Chastity gasped, realizing she was in trouble now. Pheromones were normally impossible for humans to detect. If Asmodeus truly could smell them out, then that would mean every time she attacked, ran, or reacted...

'I'm basically in blind sight to her!' Sariel thought, gritting her teeth.

"Whoa... it looks like she's getting angry." The Maou of Lust noticed.

Looking up, she saw a bunch of lasers converge like a satellite blast, one that covered nearly all of the area they were in.

"There's no way you'll be dodging this one!" She screamed, throwing her hands down.

Asmodeus was soon struck by the attack... only for her to begin laughing as she didn't seem to be hurt, making Sariel's eyes widen.

"Incredible, this attack's intensity is making me feel something within me waking up!" The Maou of Lust exclaimed, blushing a bit.

"What... the... crap?" She questioned, shaking in fear.

Somehow, the purple-haired Maou was taking the attack, defending against it, and then feeling it empower her somehow! This didn't make any sense to the Angel at all.

"I get it, just like the others there's been another level within me that Lucifer believed in, and now it's here! So, let's see how I'll use it!" Asmodeus smiled, looking at her.

" **Absolute Defense!** "

The following flash from her body was huge, dispelling the beam entirely before she emitted a powerful light blue glow.

"No!" Sariel exclaimed, trying to rush off.

An entire hurricane of her signature pheromone winds exploded across the battlefield, immediately catching the Angel within as her invisibility finally broke, and she landed in the Maou's arms.

"How about we have a little fun?" She giggled, her blush still present.

"G-get away from me... stay back!" Sariel panicked.

Opening her mouth, the Angel's face went blue as it became clear what Asmodeus intended to do with her.

*"SMOOCH!"*

For the new few minutes, a smothering of the Maou's kisses were placed against her, making Sariel scream as the only thing she could do was struggle in vain.

When that ended, she fell on the ground, covered in a few lipstick marks (despite Asmodeus' not wearing any) and her eyes in the form of spirals.

**「** **Insert Song End** **」**

"I thought kissing an Angel would feel more... rewarding." The Maou remarked disappointingly.

* * *

At that moment, the diamond wall shattered, with the only Angels left to fight being the ones who couldn't fight and win against the current odds of Lucifer's Team without them.

"They've managed to beat everyone!?" Azazel exclaimed in shock.

"Not just them... soon enough, you'll lose as well!" Lucifuge shouted.

**「** **Naruto Shippuden: Douten** **」**

He looked back to see the retainer of Lucifer as she renewed her fighting Spirit, channeling a mass of power as her body began to glow.

"Alright, now we've got a party!" He smirked.

Motioning herself to the ground, Lucifuge began to rush ahead, soon vanishing from view as Azazel tried to find her.

"What the?" he blinked, looking around.

" **Astral Shadow!** "

Mixing her abilities to refract light and manipulate shadow, Azazel gasped at Lucifuge managed to turn herself into multiples of herself numbering in four dozen.

"Nice try, but you can't overwhelm me with numbers!" He exclaimed.

His armor opened to unleash a storm of laser blasts from the shoulder pads, but the shots hit nothing.

"They're fake!" Azazel realized.

"But this isn't!" Lucifuge shouted.

Right at that moment, the Angel of Creativity felt himself decked in the face, sending him flying across the ground before pulling her kunai from earlier, and then throwing them at her shadow for some strange reason... which manifested in the form of shadowy creatures rushing out.

"Now, hold him down!" She ordered.

They all lurched forward and grappled onto Azazel, making him sweat as he was locked in place. Lucifuge held her hand up and gathered a large, raw sphere of magical power in the air above her.

"Aw crap..." The Angel of Creativity breathed.

" **Eclipsing Strike!** "

The sphere smashed onto the ground, exploding in a huge burst of black before any part of the immediate area could be seen again.

**「** **Insert Song End** **」**

Panting a bit, Lucifuge looked at the KO'd Azazel before smirking a bit.

* * *

Cassiel kept pressing the intended First Human woman into the ground, who was still trapped under the weight of her gravity.

"Honestly, maybe I should just knock you out and get this over with." She sighed.

〖"Fight on sis... you need to keep on fighting!"〗

Hearing that voice, both Cassiel and Lilith's eyes widened as it was one they both recognized.

"Eve?" Lilith breathed, her eyes shaking.

Moving her eyes, the sight of a magic circle on her hand could be seen.

〖"Don't give up sis... I know you're strong! You were the one I was based on, so that's why... I know no matter what happens, you'll find the strength you need! Maybe you're not an Angel, but you found love in Lucifer, so by all means... you've always been able to fly! Now fly even farther, to the future you've chosen to create with him!"〗 Eve screamed, all her hope and passion spilling out.

Lilith's eyes began to tear up, feeling herself shake as her fists tightened from what she said.

**「** **Date A Live: Opening Theme - Instrumental** **」**

Feeling her aura surge, she began to push herself up, surprising the Angel of Perseverance at she began to defy the weight of her gravity pushing against her.

"No way, she's overcoming it!?" She exclaimed.

"Eve... you left that message on my hand before we left Kyoto, didn't you?" Lilith asked, smiling a bit.

Cassiel pushed more weight, but the future Devil Queen only stumbled briefly before she kept going.

"I will fight... and I will win!" Lilith promised.

Screaming loudly, her aura began to build up so much power, it was like it started overflowing from her body, making the Angel before her gasp as she briefly saw it.

While completely false and just her eyes briefly seeing an illusion... she saw Lilith with the wings of an Angel!

'Is this... the real strength she's had all along!?' Cassiel thought.

Unleashing a powerful scream, the power of the first Human Woman exploded out of her body before she rushed ahead, actually flying through the air just by all the magic she was emitting!

"She's actually flying without wings!" The Angel of Perseverance exclaimed.

"Cassiel! Get ready, because I'm not helpless anymore!" Lilith shouted.

Forming a small cyclone in her hand, she held it out to unleash it full force, followed by a huge blizzard and then a hundred magical beams shortly in quick succession.

While initially surprised at the massive surge of attacks heading her way, Cassiel quickly formed her gravity barrier once more. Though quickly after did a surge of light, a wave of darkness, a flaring blaze, and a sandstorm follow!

"Such incredible magic power! how is she using all of the elements against me!?" She questioned.

Rushing at Cassiel, the sight of Lilith with a serious face caught the Angel off guard. Another scream left the latter's mouth as she slashed against Cassiel's defenses multiple time with just a few swings of her magically coated hands.

'This must be... the answer I was looking for.' Cassiel realized as her barrier began to flicker, closing her eyes.

"With all of my strength... I will create the future with Lucifer!" Lilith screamed.

Gathering a huge surge of magic into her hands, a powerful rainbow of energy fired out and struck the Angel of Perseverance, making her fly to the ground before she slammed into it.

**「** **Insert Song End** **」**

Lilith landed on the ground, collapsing on one leg as she panted a bit, then shouted loudly as she held a fist in the air to prove her victory.

* * *

Michael gasped at what he saw before him.

Despite they had all been weaker at the start, despite that the Great Seraphs had all started their fights with a clear advantage and a high chance of victory... they had  _all_  lost to Lucifer's team!

"That's not possible..." He breathed, shaking his eyes.

"Oh, believe it Michael... it's possible! We've all struggled together through the recent days. Enough that despite how brief I've known them all, some more than others, I have full confidence when I say that I believe in their potential!" Lucifer replied, smiling brightly.

Loud cheering was then heard, getting the attention of the two.

"When did we get a-" The First Angel questioned.

His eyes widened as he saw around 100 people present, including those who appeared with Choronzon, even seeing the woman that would be Rias' ancestor among the crowd.

All of these people came from across the world, including the places he found the Maou at.

"Why are... so many people here... supporting you?" Michael questioned, feeling his eyes shake.

"Looks like they're all fighting for freedom as much as we are." Lucifer smiled, feeling his eyes tear up at the unexpected support cheering his team on.

Turning back to Michael, he spread his wings further, feeling his eyes briefly glow as he readied two light spears in hand.

"Do you see it? All of us know what we're fighting for! Even if you stopped us today, the passionate fires in everyone's souls is already burning! We shall not let Elohim go on believing he is perfect, that's a promise!" Lucifer exclaimed.

"N-no, Father does not... he hasn't erred!" Michael exclaimed, readying orbs of light.

Launching them forward, they were all easily slashed apart by Lucifer, who tossed his lances at them, knocking Michael back far despite his own ability.

"M-my virtue of Faith... it's not working!" He gasped, feeling his power ebb away.

"Because you don't know its weakness like I do! The feelings of those you fight matter, so if they're stronger than yours... your virtue's power turns against you!" Lucifer revealed.

Hearing that his own beliefs had become weaker than Lucifer's, the First Angel took a chance before pouring all the light he had into a giant spear before diving forward, spinning around with his wings out.

The light spear closed itself with, letting all 12 of his wings become like a separate drill on a larger one's base, making a total of 13 that would forever mark this number's unlucky status in the present day.

"I'll never give up fighting for a better future!" He shouted.

As he was about to near him, one of Michael's orbs of light neared the ancestor of Rias, which she failed to notice, but Lucifer did. His eyes widened as he realized this.

"Look out!" He warned, dashing at her.

Michael watched as the girl looked up, everyone else running as she froze with fear. That was when Lucifer covered her with his wings, screaming as he took the blow.

The smoke cleared, and Lucifer held his shoulder as he looked at the girl.

"You alright?" He asked.

"I-I'm OK... thank you." She smiled, relief washing over her.

Michael was confused, looking away for a moment.

"Had you kept going, you could have... why did you throw that away to save that girl?" He asked.

Lucifer paused a bit, soon standing up before he looked at Michael.

"Who says that you need to be an Angel to save someone? Or rather, who says you have to kill to change the world for the better?" He questioned.

Michael's eyes widened as he walked away, followed by all the Humans who came to support him.

"I finally understand what you meant back then, Gabriel..." The Angel of Humility realized, finally understanding Lucifer truly was still fighting for his virtue.

* * *

Everyone in Lucifer's Team was soon reunited, all of them smiling as their victory was made clear. As was the massive crowd surrounding them.

"I told you all we had a chance, hope none of you doubted me?" Lucifer joked.

"As if. Those Angels were all pushovers when we finally got our heads in the game." Satan smirked.

"You sure Pride's not your sin?" Choronzon teased.

Satan cleared at her, both of them pressing their faces against each other as their cowlicks pressed against each other in another hair wrestle.

"Back it up you two. We beat the Great Seraph, but I'm sure Elohim will quickly follow once they report back to him. This is time we need to use for preparing the creation of Hell and helping me tap into the Sacred Darkness we need to properly fight him." Lucifer reminded them.

They froze and looked at him.

"He's right, if we don't do this soon, then he'll take us down without even trying." Satan realized.

"I've seen what my dad can do, so I've already got a reference for what this deity could do." Choronzon agreed.

The First Angel sighed in relief, but right as he let it out...

*"SLICE!"*

Everyone heard him scream, turning as they saw what happened, but Lilith's reaction probably sold the terror of it to its fullest as she saw the Spear of Longinus embedded into the ground.

Lucifer's wings turned black, soon fading like ashes into the wind.

"My wings... so easily! Not even Michael or the other Great Seraphs could do that kind of damage..." He realized, slowly turning his head.

"Your pride ends here!" A male voice boomed.

Looking in the same direction as Lucifer, everyone looked to the sky and saw dread as he descended from Heaven, creating a light of terror in the sky as he came into view.

Elohim had arrived...

* * *

**It was hard, but the Maou have won against the Great Seraphs, leaving only Elohim to now stand in their way. Even if Belphegor actually got serious against him, their chances are still much less compared to fighting his top Angels, especially when they've all already faced a series of tough battles that have left them on fumes. Good news is at the very least, while the future Shinou are still loyal to their God, they're starting to get it.**

**For those wondering why I have Gabriel stated to be stronger than Michael of all things? Well, if you've noticed the earlier chapters, I've had each leader's child (only or oldest) appear, but Michael wasn't among them... which was the point. I can verify he was the leader of the Shinou before they were officially known as such, but after the Great War, he passed this position to Gabriel.**

**This isn't just based on how she becomes the leader due to the others dealing with Trihexa, but because a friend once told me the Islamic version of Gabriel is ranked higher than Michael, which I decided to adapt here in the form of him transferring the role upon realizing she was a better leader after the events of this backstory and her actions during the war. As such, you actually did see all the leader's children, and I do mean leader because Elohim is semi-retired.**

**Anyways, like you might gather from me mentioning one of those crowd people was Rias' ancestor, that crowd is full of the ancestors for the 72 Pillars and a few others like the Abaddon Clan's ancestor. They will be present to see the Maou fight against Elohim, as none of them have the same strength to fight Heaven's forces like they do. Either way, it's time to see the battle that truly changed the Earth's future.**

**Until next time everyone, and stay awesome! ^^**


	9. Chapter 9

**After four chapters of action, emotions, and intensity... Lucifer's backstory has finally reached its end! The battle with Elohim and all of the Maou has come! Last chapter has already showed how dire the situation has gotten, with the Spear of Longinus having destroyed Lucifer's Angel wings, all of his team tired, not to mention he still lacks the Sacred Darkness that the Trimurti told him about.**

**The Maou were already the underdogs in the previous chapters battles where each of them fought and managed to overcome one of the Great Seraphs on their own, but now they're facing a God without Suichi's strength to even things out, and it's clear they're fighting a battle where victory is still possible... yet incredibly small. At the very least, this battle will help show what it's like for a mortal to face off against a deity.**

**Something that I should mention now is while Lucifer's story does end here, the arc based on Kyoto won't begin until the next chapter, so the rest after the story ends will focus on having the set up. Also, after a lot of thought? I've decided the movie will now be an arc in the main story, one of three flashback arcs that include this one. You'll see it fairly soon.**

**Extending from that, all of these flashback arcs are vital to the "Journey" part of the story title, helping with building and showing more of the world in this story. As our main duo will be traveling across it, knowing of it helps a lot, especially since the past is pretty vital to the story's present. Also, while I don't have plans for any further flashback arcs, they're exclusive to this part of the trilogy.**

**Now, with all of that said? Let the chapter begin!**

* * *

**()**  - Albion Talking via the Divine Dividing

 **[]**  - Ddraig Talking via the Boosted Gear

 **«»**  - Consciousness of any other Sacred Gear Talking

 **〖〗**  - Voice Speaking through a Magic Circle

 **【】**  - Voice made by an Announcement or through an Announcer

 **「」**  - Insert Song Beginning or Ending

『』 - Electrical Voice or Machine Speaking

* * *

**_Chapter 9 - Fight for Freedom_ **

Everyone watched as they saw Elohim floating in the sky, which was considered good if not late news for the Great Seraph, but the worst news for the people who made up Lucifer's group.

Sariel weakly lifted up her head, still covered in kiss markings planted on her by Asmodeus.

"Father... you've finally made it." She smiled, happy tears forming in her eyes in response.

"Great, we're all basically dead!" Satan shouted.

Lowering his head, the Leader of Heaven's gaze aimed itself at the now wingless Angel, all of his allies giving nervous stares as they tried to stay confident.

"Well, look at who finally came to the party. Couldn't let your group have a heads up that you would be late?" Lucifer mocked, glaring at him.

The Maou of Wrath snorted a bit, covering his mouth as a laugh quickly followed.

"Just like always. When you're clearly out of your mind and making foolish choices, you act proud. No wonder you fell to the sin of Pride." Elohim stated, furrowing his brow.

"At least I'm not conceited enough to say I'm perfect, unlike you!" Lucifer retorted.

Right as this exchanged happened, the Angel of Chastity coughed a bit, making the Angels' Leader shift his gaze to his Great Seraph.

"Father, we weren't able to defeat them, but... we managed to push them to their limits! That's good enough... right?" She asked.

Elohim's eyes moved towards her, only to give a disappointed look to the Angel's surprise.

"All of you are pathetic. They were all mere Humans besides Lucifer, and yet not one of you could defeat your enemies? You're all worthless." He stated.

Sariel's eyes shook, while the others who were conscious all gave the same reaction.

"Did we all really just hear you say that? All of them are loyal to you, and the only thing you can say is they don't matter... just because someone managed to defeat them!?" Satan demanded, his eyes flaming.

"Angels who cannot do their duty are no different that the betrayal Lucifer gave me long ago." Elohim replied.

"Just like I thought, you haven't learned a damn thing since we parted from Heaven... in fact you've only gotten worse. You refuse to accept your mistakes to the point you'll abandon those related to them." Lucifer stated, closing his eyes.

The God of Light's eyes tightened at that, which is when a huge surge of power was released by the sight of him unleashing not one, not two, but... twelve pairs of Angel Wings!

"I do not err!" Elohim roared.

A massive amount of light exploded across the battlefield, with everyone briefly covering themselves as the Spear of Longinus flew back into his hand. Gabriel watched in horror, realizing things couldn't go on like this.

"Father... the more you and Lucifer clash, the further extremes you fall to." She whispered.

Choronzon was seen holding up a barrier, looking at Lucifer's group.

"I'll keep everyone here covered! Regardless of how, you've gotta find a way to beat this jerk without the Sacred Darkness or he'll kill us all!" She shouted.

"She's right, the imbalance is getting worse! You need to subdue him now or it might become impossible!" Gabriel exclaimed.

Lucifer's eyes widened at that, though quickly understood.

"Gabriel has a point, we're running out of time in two different ways. The Sacred Darkness is something we'll come back to afterwards." The First Angel stated, looking at his team.

**「** **Seven Deadly Sins: Opening 2** **」**

"Alright then, let's make him pay one wing for every pair he burned off of your body!" Leviathan exclaimed.

" **Sea Serpent Dragon Tail!** "

Manifesting the form granted her by the remnant of Suichi's soul, everyone watched the Maou of Envy roar before flying through the sky in a manner like she was swimming through it.

"What's this? A Human turning into a Dragon!?" Elohim exclaimed.

"Prepare yourself so-called Biblical God, because all of us will have justice for the pain your actions have brought us!" Leviathan screamed.

He readied the Spear of Longinus for an attack.

" **Celsius Cross Trigger!** "

Both forces struck one another, until eventually... the God of Light's attack was the one that lost as his spear crashed to the ground, frozen in a huge block of ice he couldn't recall it from at the moment.

"Now, time for you to feel the power of the Maou firsthand!" Leviathan exclaimed.

Generating a flood of water in the sky, she aimed all of it at the Biblical God's position, though he simply focused his eyes, parting like Moses was said to have done by his power.

"Impossible!" She exclaimed.

" **Divine Judgment!** "

A huge rain of light beams struck the transformed Maou, causing her to immediately revert to her true form and crash on the ground, her eyes now spirals as she fell unconscious.

"We can't waste a second or an ounce of power, we don't have the luxury for either!" Lucifer warned.

"Not to worry, Leviathan's Dragon form being so easily beaten told us enough!" Beelzebub shouted, flying with aid of his insect friends.

"Alright everyone, let's show him how we fly." Asmodeus replied, blushing slightly.

She quickly began spinning around, releasing a powerful twister of pheromones that trapped Elohim inside the vortex, making him raise an eye. Shooting upwards as she rode the current, the Maou of Lust's eyes were shown to be closed as she giggled.

"Ooh, facing down a deity is making me blush with excitement!" She exclaimed, diving towards him.

"Useless." The Angel Leader stated.

He simply thrusted his hand out, immediately dispelling her wind and replacing it with a divine cyclone of light, making Asmodeus panic as her blush turned into a nervous sweat.

"This could be bad..." She realized, knowing her efforts did nothing.

As the holy cyclone prepared to pierce through her form, Beelzebub flew through the sky in the form of a giant Beetle with a durable shell, taking the attack to protect her. The Maou of Gluttony fell into Asmodeus arms as his beetle friends all fell and changed back into his magical power.

"Phew... thanks for saving me there." She sighed in relief.

"You heard Lucifer, we have to fight as one. Especially since Leviathan had to use everything just to stop him from using that weapon." Beelzebub answered.

"That's right, just a single throw of that thing destroyed all his wings." Asmodeus recalled, deciding to get serious.

Unleashing a loud scream, her pheromone-based winds exploded into a powerful hurricane that got into the God of Light's eyes, rendering him briefly blind.

" **Aromatic Gale!** "

" **Warmonger Wasps!** "

A swarm of the aggressive insects manifested from Beelzebub's magic circle, holding out their stingers as they pierced into Elohim's body. He grunted as his body briefly began to turn red in a few areas.

Focusing his eyes, a powerful glow of light formed as his body purged the effect of the wasps' stings. Both Asmodeus and Beelzebub's eyes widened before they were shot into the ground, leaving them both inside imprints of their respective shapes, completely unconscious.

"Damn it... we're being overwhelmed. Just how powerful can this God really be when he's barely ever joined the battlefield like his creations?" Mammon questioned.

Slapping the ground, a bunch of diamonds fired at the Angel Leader, but all 24 of his wings simply knocked them aside. Though this was just to let the Maou of Greed slip behind by riding on one.

'He hasn't noticed me, this is my chance!' Mammon thought.

" **Gold Rush!** "

Thrusting out every bit of the valuable metal he had in his body, he forced it into Elohim's torso, making him raise an eye.

"Just what do you expect that to-" He questioned.

Suddenly he began coughing a bit, holding his mouth as his skin began paling... which is when everyone saw some blackness expel itself from the gold and into the God's body.

"Always had some venom from when some of this gold was transformed lead. Now, how about you face every bit of those toxins yourself?" Mammon asked, a glare focused in his eyes.

Elohim's eyes widened before they sharpened, unleashing an explosion of Holy Light from his body that caught the Maou of Greed off-guard.

"What!?" He exclaimed.

Purging the venom out, Mammon felt himself struck hard in the chest, falling into the ground as every bit of gold he had shattered. It quickly dissolved into the wind as he collapsed onto his stomach upon landing.

"Lucifer, forgive me... just make sure my investment... doesn't go to waste." He apologized, shedding a few tears.

Belphegor immediately pushed off the ground, smashing her fist into Elohim's body, who barely felt it. He immediately released another wave of light as he prepared to overwhelm her like the others... only to hear a loud cracking sound.

"You think that we're so weak you can just use the same trick without it failing? I think that just shows how you can't see anything but your own beliefs!" She exclaimed, ripping the attack in half.

"Impossible! how can a mere Human tear my power-" He questioned.

Lucifuge immediately launched herself into the sky, which is when everyone saw their shadows being linked to hers as a form of empowerment, letting her transform her own into a shadowy monster that immediately enveloped the God of Light inside.

"Belphegor, unleash every bit of magic that you can! Now!" Lucifuge exclaimed.

"Right!" She replied.

Forcing her hand in, she literally wasted all of her magical power in an overflowing burst that was caged by Lucifuge's shadowy form, letting every bit of it hit Elohim at his full strength.

"Damn... you... all!" Elohim grunted, feeling his skin steam up as he took a few minor scratches and bruises from the onslaught.

Lucifuge's eyes widened before closing, struggling to contain a blast of Holy Light being released from the God of Light, one that Belphegor felt as she was immediately shot into the ground like most of her fellow Maou.

"Come on Lucifuge... hold it! You have to hold it, otherwise we'll all be-" She grunted.

The shadow broke, making Lucifuge shift back into her original form almost instantly.

"Is there anything that he can't simply cheat himself through!?" She questioned, feeling her eyes shake in both panic and worry.

"A filthy offshoot like yourself has no right to ask that." Elohim stated.

Preparing an attack, Lucifuge tried to defend herself... only for the Biblical God to strike her instantly, making her eyes widen as the sound of something breaking was heard from him striking where his attack was being charged.

Her body shook for a moment, then faded away as her soul landed by Lucifer, somewhat cracked as he stared at it.

"No... Lucifuge!" He exclaimed.

"Don't panic, she isn't dead. Though it does seem like her body couldn't support itself due to her nature of being born from a shadow." Zekram replied, feeling something from the soul.

The Maou of Pride growled a bit, and that's when Choronzon realized what he was feeling.

"Hey you? Takeover in holding this for me, I'm not in the mood to sit back and watch this any longer." She stated, pushing the magic circle into Zekram's hands.

"Eh? W-wait... just what am I supposed to do here!?" He asked, sweating a bit.

She cracked her fists, taking Lucifuge's soul and then tossing it to him, helping it support itself as the last three of Lucifer's group still standing looked at her.

"That challenge of ours? Let's change it into who can deal him a serious injury first!" Choronzon challenged.

"Heh, guess that's good incentive to beat him. You've got yourself a deal!" Satan agreed, flashing her a smile.

Both of them shot into the air, with Satan using his shadows to fly whereas the adopted daughter of Shiva simply manipulated her prana to achieve the result. Elohim immediately blasted rains of Holy Light from the sky, but they both evaded them easily.

"You honestly thing that you can scare me when I've already trained with Gods of your level? Please!" Choronzon mocked.

" **Heavenly Ray!** "

Elohim focused them all and blasted her, but she crossed her arms as she began to twirl, then shot them out to force the attack in another direction. The Angel Leader's eyes widened as despite it left some damage, she pretty much defied his strength.

"I told you... that's nothing compared to what I've already faced!" She answered, immediately dashing towards him.

The Biblical God was struck in the stomach, barely feeling any pain despite the impact briefly making his guard drop, which is when Satan dived towards him.

"Time to feel my wrath!" He roared.

"No, it's time to feel your death!" Elohim retorted, coating his hand in Holy Light.

He immediately stabbed into Satan's chest, making his eyes widen as a fight between his willpower and Heaven's leader trying to pierce through his body began. Choronzon gasped in worry as watching was all she could do.

"Do you really think... I'd be taken down by such a weak attack!?" He questioned, smirking confidently.

Elohim's body started trembling as he felt a chill, noticing a high density of shadows gather as Satan pushed his arm back, starting to accelerate against his attack and lock him in place.

"Nice one Satan, now let me show you how I push against this so-called deity!" Choronzon smirked.

She unleashed a mighty scream as she let her aura pummel against Elohim's body, making him scream as the burning feeling pummeled into his skin, being the closest to any true damage the God of Light had taken since this battle began.

"Damn you!" He roared.

"Satan and I aren't so weak that you can just brush us off! After all, I in particular was a creation you made!" Choronzon replied.

"And what a mistake that was!" Elohim answered.

"Hold on, did you just call me a mistake? If I recall right... didn't you just say you couldn't err? Because that's exactly what a mistake is!" She retorted, smirking as she did.

Lucifer grinned at that, while the Biblical God's face went red from rage.

"I'll since you once and for all you-" He shouted.

"Just what I was waited for, you Godly idiot!" Satan exclaimed, a toothy smirk on his face.

Pushing forward, Elohim had no time to react as in that vital moment...

The God of Light's eyes widened as Satan's attack pushed enough to break his arm, then continue past some of his wings, slicing twelve of them off. It took a moment before the damage fully set in.

"That's impossible... how could a mere mortal destroy any of my wings!?" He screamed.

Hearing that, the Maou of Wrath looked at his partner.

"Well, look at that? It seems that... I won our little bet. You got anything to say?" Satan asked, smirking at her.

"Heh, I let you win it to give you that opening." Choronzon smirked in reply.

**「** **Insert Song End** **」**

As the two stood there...

*"CRACK!"*

Both of them immediately turned as the Spear of Longinus was shown to have finally freed itself from its icy cage, which Elohim immediately tossed at them. Choronzon quickly moved in front of Satan, focusing her Prana as it struck her, making Satan's eyes widen as it did.

While her aura prevented it from piercing her, the aura exploded out and struck Satan, flinging both of them towards the ground with a heavy crash.

"Satan!" Lucifer exclaimed.  
"Choronzon!" Lilith shouted.

At that moment, the Maou of Wrath looked at the girl who shield him, who gave an awkward smile towards her.

"Why'd you..." He asked.

"Don't know, guess you make me a little crazy." She chuckled.

Looking at Lucifer, she held out her hand before sending her remaining power to him, making him feel a tingling in his backside.

"You need a means to fly, right? That's all I've got left to offer you." Choronzon smirked.

"It's up to you and Lilith now... win this for us." Satan encouraged, flashing a thumb's up.

The future leaders of the Devils both gave nods in response to their words, immediately taking flight in their respective ways as they charged at the Angels' Leader.

Before Elohim could even react, they both held out their left hands.

"You chose to underestimate us, and Satan showed you the consequences of that!" Lucifer exclaimed.

"Now, feel our strength!" Lilith shouted.

Fusing their overwhelming magic and Holy Light into a single place, they unleashed a powerful blast that struck into Elohim's gut, pushing him across the ground for a while.

"Spear of Longinus, unleash your power!" The God of Light roared, ordering its power to unleash.

Unleashing a powerful glow, the spear blasted a huge beam forward, smashing through every layer of their attack before knocking them both to the ground.

"Come on, get up!" Lucifuge's voice shouted.

"Oh, you can still talk in this state." Zekram remarked, showing some surprise.

Lucifer struggled to get up, and that's when Elohim suddenly raised his eyes.

"I'm embarrassed, why didn't I ever think to consider this? If everything you've done happened because of this bitch... then I should just kill her!" The Biblical God realized.

The First Angel's eyes dilated as he heard this, and immediately pushed his body to get back on his feet as Heaven's Leader began charging the Spear of Light once again.

"LILITH!" He screamed.

"Now, prepare to have your entire soul purged into nothingness!" Elohim shouted.

" **Truth Idea!** "

Before anyone could react, a sudden burst of power shot through the future Devil Queen's body, right as the other Maou regained consciousness to witness the horror. Lilith's eyes lost their light, shakily turning to Lucifer as she they began to turn gray.

"Lucifer... I'm... sorry..." She apologized.

With that, the look in her eyes went completely dead as her body fell to the ground, with even the Great Seraph finding no pleasure in the sight.

"Father... what have you done?" Gabriel breathed, feeling her body tremble.

"He... he killed her..." Choronzon breathed, covering her mouth in horror.

The First Angel stared at the apparently deceased form of his wife, feeling various memories play through his head.

* * *

_Lucifer stood by Elohim's side as they walked into Eden together._

_"Father, why did you bring me here? What is this place?" He asked._

_"This is the Garden of Eden, a safe haven to protect the ones who will propagate the new species I wish to create." Elohim explained._

_Blinking in confusion, the God of Light chuckled at the Angel of Justice._

_"You'll understand it better eventually, but I want you and the other Great Seraphs to help raise them until they both turn 18 years of age. You'll be the first one to guide her." He replied._

_At that moment, Lucifer's eyes made contact with the currently 4-year old Lilith, who turned to look at him._

_Neither of them noticed the invisible red thread of destiny that connected the duo, not even Elohim himself._

* * *

_Lucifer sighed a bit, resting on a flower bed in the garden with a sad look on his face, having gone through a bad day due to a small fight he and Camael had gotten into._

_"Some Angel I am..." He quietly said to himself._

_"Here you go." Lilith smiled, placing something on his head while he didn't notice._

_Getting up, he looked at it._

_It was a crown of flowers, making him pause a bit before smiling, which made Lilith smile at him in return._

* * *

_Lilith tiredly looked at Lucifer as he carried her out of the fires burning through Eden, a small blush on her face as what would eventually be her love for him began to bloom._

_"Are you alright?" He asked, a worried look on her face._

_"I'm... I'm..." She replied, her mouth beginning to quiver._

_Before he could fully register it, Lilith rushed into his arms, hugging him tightly as she began to cry._

_"Don't cry, you're safe now." He promised her._

_Rubbing her back, he looked forward as he took a deep breath, making a vow to himself._

_'I will always protect you... no matter what." Lucifer swore._

* * *

He began shedding tears before crying loudly, with Elohim cackling at the blow he dealt to Lucifer, right as the others began to tear up.

"No, it can't be... not her too!" Leviathan sniffled.

"That monster! Elohim's no God, he's just a murderer!" Mammon screamed, glaring at him.

As he sat there... Lucifer suddenly felt a pulse hit him.

**_"He... has hurt us both... hasn't he...?"_ **

'W-what the... who's there?' The First Angel asked, looking around.

Instead of the ruins of a town and the immediate area it surrounding, he saw himself in the landscape that made up his mind... or maybe his soul?

**_"Over here... Lucifer..."_ **

Turning around, he saw the white orb that represented his link to his Angel powers, but a black dot was seen floating within them.

"You're... the Sacred Darkness, aren't you!?" He realized.

**_"Correct... that is what I am. Just like you I have... suffered under Elohim's beliefs. He claims that... I am evil, that I am... always in the wrong. To him... I poison the world... but by cutting me off, he... has unknowingly began sending the world... to his doom."_ **

Lucifer lowered his head.

"He took everything from you... just like he's taken Lilith from me, the one person who made me feel alive." He replied, shedding tears from his eyes.

**_"Yes... I saw that, and... even I know that was not... an act of justice."_ **

At that moment, a crack began forming on the light cage, which caught the Maou of Pride's attention as he watched.

**_"So, do you... want to right that wrong? Do you... want her memory to live on in you?"_ **

"What do you mean?" Lucifer asked.

**_"I've seen all... that you've fought for. It was proof... of how badly you wanted everyone to stop suffering... you may have lost the wings you have, but... you truly understand the depths of despair. Now, with that... create the heights of hope you fought with her to create!"_ **

Lucifer reached for the cage of light, touching it.

"Are you sure... that you really want me to wield your power? Am I truly worthy of such a thing?" He asked.

**_"You've always fought for justice, and now... it's time to fix the greatest injustice of all. To let Elohim... know our pain... for the suffering he's made us endure!"_ **

At that moment, the Maou of Pride smashed his hand into the cage.

"That's right, I am Lucifer... the Maou of Pride!" He screamed loudly.

Darkness flowed into his body, combining with the light that was always inside of him, making his red eyes flash.

* * *

Looking at the rest of Lucifer's group, he prepared to finish them next.

"Now, if that alone crushed him so badly... then perhaps I should do the same to the rest of you before I end his miserable life!" He decided.

"You aren't taking any more lives, you... you demon!" Lucifer growled.

Everyone looked at the First Angel's form, which was shaking with rage as his aura began to expand, surprising everyone as they watched.

"What nonsense are you going on about-" The Biblical God questioned

Before he could even finish, Lucifer's aura exploded out as he began to levitate, with the six pairs of wings Satan had sliced off Elohim's form flying onto his back as his transformation began.

"I'm not sure what's going on, but I'll finish this battle right now!" The God of Light exclaimed.

"Go ahead and try it!" Lucifer shouted.

Once again, he threw the Spear of Longinus at the First Angel... only this time, the spear bounced off as some strange magic circle, or maybe a magic barrier, completely negated the attack!

**「** **Accel World: Silvery Wings** **」**

Elohim's eyes widened as he gasped, right his old wings transformed into Lucifer's new wings, the wings belonging to the first Devil in existence.

"What's going on here? Why didn't the Spear of Longinus harm you!?" He demanded.

At that moment, the Spear of Longinus that had returned to his side? It shook just like when Metatron tried to use it, firing itself into the ground to mark the ultimate shame it could... marking Elohim as  _unworthy_  of wielding it.

"It... it rejected me!?" The God of Light questioned, his eyes shaking in disbelief.

"You made that spear so that it wouldn't be used against you, a spear that's useless against a God... well, guess what I am now!?" Lucifer replied, glaring at him.

At that moment, he unleashed the power that caused Elohim to start shaking in fear.

"T-the Sacred Darkness... but how are you wielding it!?" The Biblical God questioned.

Lucifer pointed at Lilith's form, making Elohim raise an eye in confusion... until he recalled what he just did, making him blanch.

"No... that's impossible, but I'm..." He denied, shaking his head.

"You don't have the right to say you didn't err or something's wrong just because you think it is! The Sacred Darkness was wronged by you, and so was I... so now, its power and essence have become my own!" Lucifer exclaimed.

Holding his hands out, he unleashed a mix of light and darkness to unleash the first use of twilight in all history, knocking Elohim far across the sky.

"You can still wield your Holy Light and fuse it with the darkness!?" He exclaimed.

"That's right!" Lucifer exclaimed.

"Impossible, just what are you!?" Elohim demanded.

Rushing in front of the Biblical God, the Devil King smashed his fist into his face, causing everyone to gasp as the impact actually sent him flying back.

"The Maou of Pride, and the Devil King!" He answered.

Accelerating at incredible speeds, he began swinging his body against the Angel Leader to deal a flurry of heavy attacks.

"Today, the future will be changed for the better! Because I will not let you harm Humanity or anyone else anymore! I will give back their freedom, and those of every species on this world!" He screamed, not slowing down at all.

He kicked Elohim in the gut, sending him flying back.

"Everything in this world needs a balance! The Sacred Darkness is no different, as it represents the shadows all light creates... even the Holy Light you wield!" Lucifer exclaimed.

"This... this power! You've become as strong as I am!?" Elohim shouted, focusing at the God of Darkness.

However, the moment he did... he gasped at what he saw.

For the first time since Lucifer was born, he was finally paying attention to see something he had always ignored before.

'Lucifer, you're... you're crying!?' The God of Light thought.

Elohim froze at this thought, leaving him wide open for attack.

"Now, it's time for you to feel the power that the world itself has entrusted me! This... is the hope Lilith and I created together!" The Devil King screamed, thrusting his left hand out.

" **Ethereal Twilight!** "

A huge burst of twilight energy blasted out from what would forever become the dominant hand for most Devils, striking through the Leader of Heaven with incredible intensity that sent him crashing into the ground.

He weakly stared at the sky before his eyes looked at Lucifer, who landed on the ground and retracted his wings, leaving a brief silence as they stared at each other.

**「** **Insert Song End** **」**

"Go ahead... you beat me, shattered all of my strength... just kill me and be done with it." Elohim permitted, closing his eyes to accept his fate.

The Devil King closed his eyes, turning away.

"No... you're going to live, death is a mercy for you. Besides... this world still needs you." He answered, walking away.

All of the Great Seraph were surprised, even Elohim.

"But I will give you these words of advice. Soon enough, the Devils will exist and rival your forces, and if you ever attack us again? We will retaliate with a full invasion! Is that understood?" Lucifer warned.

"It seems like you're serious about that... very well, Heaven and its Angels won't bother you anymore." Elohim promised.

He rose back into the sky, with his Great Seraphs following him as they helped him back, making him look at them.

"What? Why are you helping me, I-" He questioned.

"Father, let's all start over together... truly make Heaven what it should have been." Gabriel stated, hugging him close.

Elohim closed his eyes, saying nothing as they returned.

At that moment, he finally sobbed as the loss of Lilith's full weight hit him, covering his eyes as the tears flooded out.

"I did it Lilith, but... I just wish it didn't take losing you for it to happen." He sniffled.

"What are you talking about Lucifer? You'll never lose me, I promised you." She replied.

The Devil King's eyes widened at that, slowly turning as he saw the rest of his team standing together... and Lilith was with them, alive!

"Lilith?" He breathed.

She smiled at him, holding her arms out as she walked towards him.

"You're alive... you're alive!" He repeated, immediately rushing at her.

Everyone teared up as they hugged.

"I don't believe it... but, how did you make it?" He asked, sniffling a bit.

"Satan saved me." Lilith answered.

Lucifer's eyes widened, looking at the Maou of Wrath who scratched the back of his head, smiling as he gave an embarrassed blush.

"You... but how did you-" He asked.

"This idiot cast a forbidden spell and gave up some of his own life force to restore hers before she fully slipped away. Even though he was so weak it could have cost him his own life." Choronzon smiled, nudging his shoulder.

Hearing this, Lucifer felt his eyes shed tears once again, while Satan looked away in slight embarrassment.

"You gave us all a second chance, didn't you? It was only right I returned the favor and kept you form losing her. Besides, after all of this... we're brothers, and family always looks out for each other." He stated.

The other Maou all gave similar bashful smiles, showing they all agreed with his sentiment.

"Well, besides me and Choronzon, since I'm still Lucifer's fiancé and she'll likely get together with Satan based on what I've seen." Lilith giggled.

"H-hey! What are you talking about, she doesn't like me that way... right?" The Maou of Wrath stuttered.

The adoptive daughter of Shiva turned her head and whistled, making him break into a nervous sweat.

"Well, before we create Hell, there's one last thing to do. I don't trust even myself with this much power. Not only that, but I don't want to risk any child I have walking a similar path because they're partially a deity. As such..." Lucifer decided, closing his eyes.

Focusing the power of the Sacred Darkness out, the Maou watched as he suddenly broke it into nine pieces, only drawing one back into himself and effectively leaving him more like a Buddha.

"All of us fought together to achieve this, so... even if I'm the Devil King, let us all lead Hell together." He stated.

"Really?" Mammon replied, completely shocked.

The Devil King nodded his head, and soon pushed the other fragments into the remaining sins, leaving the other two to enter Choronzon and Lilith's bodies. In mere seconds, all of them took the forms they had in the present day.

"Whoa, is my hair... no, it's looks like water, but that's still cool!" Leviathan exclaimed, her eyes sparkling at it.

"My hair's black now? Well, I guess that's one way to show I'm no longer tied to Elohim anymore." Lilith remarked, quickly accepting her new hair color.

"OK, now there's only two things left to do. Though let's take care of this one first." Lucifer smiled.

Flying up into the air, he dived into the center of the ruined city, forming a hole in the ground as a huge light exploded outwards. Everyone soon felt themselves being pulled in through the energy pulling them in.

**「** **Xenoblade Chronicles X: Theme X** **」**

When they all landed, they saw a huge vast landscape with a red sky and only lakes, with not an ocean in sight. It was then that Lucifer walked into view.

"Everyone? I'd like to welcome you all... to Hell." He smiled.

At that moment, all of the Maou lined up as they took in the new landscape that was now theirs, a land that slowly began removing Elohim's powerful influencing as the moderation between virtue and sin slowly began to free the world by restoring the balance of light and darkness.

_"With those words, our current lives began. All of us began to forge new lives in Hell and create a new future for ourselves. It started slow, but we quickly began to make our cities. Make our territories. Not long after, families began to form as Devils made from scratch joined us."_

The sight of the first Astaroth was seen as he motioned to the first Balam to help with some construction, lifting up some materials before the former used his power to start piecing them into a set building shape.

In another area, Beelzebub was seen along with the first Marchosias, helping some insects find homes while also looking over the ecosystem of their new home.

_"Finally, Lilith and I stopped delaying our well-deserved wedding, becoming the Devil King and Devil Queen we are today. For a time... Heaven listened to my warning, and I think Elohim finally began to realize his mistakes, it made me wonder for a time if maybe we could be allies and actually form something better than either of us could do alone."_

Lucifer stood at an altar, wearing traditional Devil attire for weddings as Lilith walked down the aisle, wearing a black wedding dress. It didn't take long before the fateful kiss was made, making everyone cheer.

**「** **Insert Song End** **」**

In the celebrations that followed, Satan actually decided to propose to Choronzon... which most people had seen coming from a mile away.

_"However, it wasn't meant to be. We knew the future was an unknown as much as anyone was. Despite that, if it hadn't been for certain events, had the wrong words not been said, and how the wrong words not replied... maybe the Great War's threat would have been avoided."_

Standing in front of an army of Devils, the Maou prepared for battle as the lights of Heaven flickered in their skies, marking the beginning of the battle they'd soon draw the rest of the world into.

* * *

**~ Present Day**

All of the children looked at Lucifer in awe as he finished his story, opening his eyes after he finished sipping some tea.

"Well, that's our tale." He finished.

"That was incredible, although... your story makes it sound like Elohim already realized everything by the end. How did the both of you start the Great War if that was the case?" Fubuki quietly asked.

Lucifer and Lilith both froze for a moment, with Vali trying not to laugh in response.

"OK, to be fair? We did initiate the war... but what made Elohim snap at me was something else entirely. Now, I don't want to point any fingers at anyone, but..." The Devil King answered.

The Devil Queen quickly put her hand on Lucifer's shoulder.

"It was Azazel's fault." She stated.

"Eh!?" The Hyoudou Siblings exclaimed.

Lucifer chuckled awkwardly before he continued explaining, grabbing some chips from a bag.

"Well, for how the Demons and Fallen Angels came to be? Due to our victory, Cassiel left with Haniel and Camael, along with a third of the Angels who shared their thoughts, but Elohim ignored that because they chose to cut ties with Heaven before they turned into the Demons... that I indirectly named." Lucifer explained.

"But the Fallen Angels on the other hand? They thought if they showed Elohim that minor sinning was fine, he'd let the other Angels try it, but... they made the idiotic mistake of not telling him in advance and just did it." Lilith continued.

"And that in turn was like throwing salt into Elohim's wounds, so after making them Fallen Angels once he learned of this, he... well, you already know that part. This is the main reason why I'm sometimes mentioned as a Fallen Angel despite I was never one." Lucifer finished.

Pausing for a moment, Issei starts to laugh at that.

"W-wait a second... you're saying the Great War happened because a Fallen Angel tried to-" He struggled to reply, still laughing.

"Issei, please don't finish that sentence, at any point in your life." Shinri warned.

His son immediately shut up at that moment, looking to the side to distract himself.

"Say, what about the Great War itself? I'm kind of curious about how you beat that apparent super monster you called... Trihexa if I remember right?" Homura inquired.

Right as Lucifer was about to reply to that, the train made a sound.

**【** **"Attention Passengers, we will arrive at Kyoto Station in a few minutes. Get ready to depart the train at any moment."** **】**

"Let's put a rain check on that story." He suggested.

Getting all their belongings, they stood near the door until they reached their stop, arriving at the majesty that was Kyoto Station's inside. The moment Shinri was on the grounds of his homeland.

"I'M BACK!"

Everyone looked at him, making him blush briefly as he gave an awkward chuckle in response.

"Sorry, haven't been back here for some time now..." He apologized, looking towards the sky.

"We know honey." Eve replied, patting his back.

Lucifer opened up his phone, showing a magic circle on it as he looked for a certain something on it, eventually finding the spot.

"Ah, there we go." He smiled.

"Is there someone particular we're meeting up with?" Vali asked.

"Yasaka, the leader of the Youkai, is sending one of her children to meet up with us. They'll be taking us to the Youkai Realm since the only thing Izanagi told me he didn't know where we'd be meeting aside from it being in there." Lucifer confirmed, looking around.

Above the area they were standing on, a small fox with nine tails crawled above the roof before slipping down and taking the form of a young girl around Fubuki's age.

"There you are!" She stated.

Looking behind them, said girl was revealed to have blonde hair in a ponytail with a slight orange to pink gradient at the very ends with vivid yellow eyes. Her outfit consisted of traditional miko attire, including geta with white tabi, with the sleeves of her haori featuring a giant red star-shaped pentagram, surrounded by five smaller ones between each point.

"It's good to see you again, Lord Shinri." The Kyuubi bowed.

"Hey there Kunou, it's been a while." He smiled, waving at him.

All of his children looked at him confused, making him blink as he never explained his brief mention in Lucifer's backstory.

"Eh... did I never mention that I'm kind of the adoptive son of Izanagi and Izanami?" He asked.

Their immediate shock upon hearing that clearly told he had not, making him give another awkward chuckle as he slowly rubbed his head in response to the sight.

"Just like you haven't told them that other detail... though we can wait until they meet Izanami before we share it." Eve giggled.

Kunou blinked in confusion, right as Shinri looked at her.

"Thanks for being willing to help us find my parents in the Youkai Realm, it helps a lot." He smiled.

"Of course, mother would be very angry at me if I were to neglect a promise I made." She replied.

Shinri turned to the rest of the group.

"Well, let's head on over." He stated.

* * *

Everyone walked through the Youkai Realm, with Issei quickly noticing the orange skies that made it, along with the many Youkai that were both familiar to humans, and a few odd ones that seemed more unique and one of a kind.

"It still surprises me how this sky's a different color than ours is." He remarked, looking around.

"Hell's sky is red, Heaven's is golden-yellow, the Fallen's home of Paradise is green, and the Underworld has a purple one. Although, currently those are all artificial, as they all changed into Earth's sky after the Great War." Vali explained.

Blinking a bit, Issei's head tilted in confusion.

"Allow me to clarify that slight. The reason they don't look blue is due to magic we're using as an illusion, we don't feel ready to share the same sky in a sense until all the mythologies are ready for a more official and permanent alliance between us all. Despite the Great War showed we can work together, we still have a few things we feel the need to do before the Supernatural World can truly unite as one." Lucifer interjected.

"Oh! Uh... actually, I still don't get it, but I kind of understand it?" He replied, scratching his head.

The Maou of Pride shrugged his arms, deciding he'd clarify things better when he finally shared the full story of the Great War to the children. Right as his line of thought ended, they entered a castle area that led them to Takama-ga-Hara, the Shinto/Youkai equivalent to the Angels' land of Heaven.

"Ah, there they are!" A male voice exclaimed, smiling in their direction.

Standing and waiting for them was both Izanagi and Izanami, standing next to a Kyuubi with her hair tied in a loose ponytail, reaching all the way down to her legs that ends in a spiral, with a traditional hair ornament and six golden bira kanzashi and several red kanzashi keeping it in place.

Her attire consisted of a yellow kimono, a golden obi, and a black pelt with gold skulls and lines printed on it. The kimono featured a white interior and was open at her shoulders, giving view to her enormously large breasts.

"Dad! Mom! Lady Yasaka! Good to see you all!" Shinri shouted back, waving to all of them.

"It's been too long." Eve smiled, briefly closing her eyes.

Vali's eyes soon met with Izanami's appearance, blinking a few times as her form was replaced with a similar person in a pink magic girl outfit and twin tails.

"Uh... dad, that's just Lady Serafall in disguise... right?" She asked, giving a nervous laugh.

He laughed at that, making the Devil Princess sweat in response.

"Sorry sweetie, but the two of them just naturally happen to resemble each other." Lilith apologized, rubbing her head.

Vali's face froze at that, with Albion struggling not to let out a laugh.

"Aw, you three must be our grandchildren. May I know your names?" Izanami smiled, looking at the Hyoudou Siblings.

"I'm Issei, 10-years old and the oldest." He introduced.

"My name's Homura, 9-years old and the middle child." She revealed, flashing a big smile.

Shinri noticed her youngest hid behind him.

"And this is Fubuki, our youngest and 7-years old. She's a little shy." Eve stated.

Pushing her into view, the white-haired girl eventually joined her brother and sister, right as Kunou moved to stand by her mother's side.

"Greetings, I am the leader of the Youkai that hide within the shadows of Kyoto, you may call my Yasaka." She greeted, bowing slightly.

"M-miss, are you by chance the... nine-tailed fox of legend?" Fubuki quietly asked.

Yasaka smiled at that, but shook her head.

"No, that fox was Tamamo-no-Mae, my late mother and the previous leader." She clarified.

Eve kneeled by them.

"Tamamo died in the Great War, so please don't ask her much out of respect." The Hyoudou Matriarch whispered.

All three of them nodded, right as another Kyuubi walked into view.

She was a teenager unlike Kunou and Yasaka were, having shoulder length hair tied in a small rat tail, with bangs that framed her face, curling away from it at the very tips. Her outfit was that of a pink kimono.

"My apologies for being late, but I assume these are guests?" The teenager Kyuubi asked.

"They are." Yasaka confirmed.

Having not spoken for a while, Izanagi held out his hand to their newest addition.

"Everyone, this is Amino, the older daughter of Yasaka and the first in line to inherit her position for any reason that may come up." He explained.

"Greetings to you all." She bowed.

"Now that we're all here, why don't we go inside and have some food?" Izanami suggested.

* * *

Looking inside the castle, Homura's eyes sparkled at the sight of a magnificent Japanese blade resting on a stand near the wall.

"You seem interested in that blade, don't you?" Shinri smiled.

"I do! What is it!?" She asked, her eyes still having a twinkle.

Eve placed her hands on her daughter's shoulder, trying not to laugh at the stars that had yet to vanish from her eyes, wondering if she should be making a harmless joke about them.

"Depending on what you're training is? Maybe you might be lucky enough for them to give it to you." She said, winking a bit.

Homura squealed at that, soon rushing to the dining table.

"Nice job dodging that question, I was worried that she'd try to grab it and then risk a likely chance of getting heartbroken." Shinri sighed in relief, wiping his forehead.

"Anytime." Eve replied.

Kissing him briefly, Kunou showed the common grossed out reaction kids of her age had to seeing people kiss.

"Oh, I nearly forgot about this. Lucifer?" Izanami remembered.

"Yeah, what is it?" He asked, eating a dumpling.

"Just so you now, while there may be no issues with the training you hope to do here from this? I thought you should know that... Azazel's older daughter recently became a fugitive a few days ago and there's evidence she's hiding out somewhere in the city." She warned.

Both rulers of the Devils gasped at that.

"No way... his own daughter became a criminal?" He stated.

"His younger daughter is so sweet. No matter how I think about it, I just can't figure out why she ended up so... horrible." Lilith stated, a mood swing with anger quickly hitting her.

The children all looked at her, making the Devil Queen blush and look away in embarrassment.

"Alright, we'll keep an eye out for her. Though I'm assuming this means a few Fallen Angels will be around her?" Lucifer promised.

"Just a group of 5, so it hopefully won't be anything too serious." Izanagi answered.

Valiana slurped up some ramen, looking towards the outside as she thought about if this was related to a few days ago.

"Hey... uh, what should I call you two?" Homura asked, looking at her grandparents.

"Feel free to call us Grandma and Grandpa, though we'd prefer you also say our names. Though I'm assuming you have a question based on asking us about that?" Izanami replied, looking at her.

Homura nodded her head.

"That sword over there, can you tell me what it is?" She asked, her eye sparkles returning.

Eve had to puff her cheeks just to avoid laughing at the sight.

"Ah, it seems you've taken interest in our holy sword." Izanagi realized, chuckling a bit.

"Holy sword?" Homura repeated.

"There are legendary swords across the supernatural world, and among a small group of those blades? Some have holy properties and others cursed ones. The sword you saw has the former property, being the fabled  _Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi_ , or Murakumo as we often shorten it." Yasaka revealed.

Homura gasped upon hearing that, slamming her hands on the table as she leaned forward.

"You mean that's the Japanese equivalent of Excalibur!?" The redheaded girl exclaimed.

Only seconds after, she immediately fell backwards and fainted, making everyone briefly close their eyes at the thud she made.

"Well, this is... going to get interesting?" Shinri chuckled nervously.

"Uh... so, what kind of training schedule can you manage for us?" Lucifer asked, hoping to change the topic.

Izanagi and Izanami thought on that for a moment.

"Let's see, how about..."

* * *

Meanwhile, on the outskirts of Kyoto's boarders, the sight of Yuuma's group could be seen as they finally made it. The young daughter of Azazel and Penemue panting a bit as she slumped onto her knees.

"I thought it was supposed to be Autumn right now? Why is it so hot?" She asked, fanning herself.

"Well, at least we made it." The man stated, handing her a canteen of fresh water.

She guzzled it down before pouring some over her head, jealousy looking at how he wasn't hot despite his predominately black clothing.

"Any idea where Raynare might be?" The group's blonde asked.

Yuuma looked around, seeing nothing in particular.

"Not sure, but she wouldn't have any permission to go into the Youkai Realm, so she has to be walking around the city of the Human World." She assumed.

"Guess that's better than no start." The group's tallest woman remarked.

Following them on the rear, their strongest member giggled slightly as she came into view, holding an entry pass.

"At the very least, we have the advantage of access in our attempts to catch her." She mentioned.

Yuuma nodded, finally getting back on her feet.

"Let's go guys, we've got to catch my sister... before we end up with any kind of worst-case scenarios." The Fallen Princess stated.

With their goal in sight, all of them walked into the Shinto Gods' territory.

* * *

**And that's a wrap to both the Kyoto arc's set up, along with Lucifer's backstory. Our protagonists have finally arrived in the city, but Raynare just happens to be there as well, not to mention Yuuma's group is approaching to intercept her fugitive of a sister. How this all piles up will reveal itself soon enough, including why Raynare even chose to hide in Kyoto of all places.**

**For another surprise, it's that Lucifuge is not a Maou despite what the last few chapters implied. This is why she's a member of Lucifer's peerage. As for why she had her body destroyed? While I did say she and Grayfia are the same person in this story, her original form resembled the Vali of this story, and only after her body was remade did this stop being true, as Lucifer wanted her to be her own person instead of his female copy.**

**We've also gotten a further clarification on how the Great War began, that being the Fallen Angels indirectly caused the fight that led to Elohim and Lucifer starting the conflict. This is a representation of how Lucifer is sometimes one himself, along with how in canon, they're as important to the conflict as the Devils and Angels are, so it made sense their existence had a role in starting the war.**

**Lastly, we have Yasaka's other daughter Amino, who some of you may remember as Nainen from the original. I can't say what her remade self's role in the story is beyond being an envoy and allowing Yasaka to leave Kyoto without disrupting the Leylines if ever needed, but you'll start to realize the deeper reasoning for why she exists as we get further into the story, however minor or major.**

**Until next time everyone, and stay awesome! ^^**


	10. Chapter 10

**Happy New Year, and welcome to beginning of the Kyoto arc! Now that we're here? I'd like to mention that as of this arc, while it will still be a while before the story gets near the timeline we're all familiar with in canon, some arcs or at least a few events in them will happen earlier than they would canonically due to the presence of characters that are still alive. The only arc that I can say won't fall under this is the Summit arc.**

**Anyways, this arc will finally reveal Yuuma's group, even though I'm pretty sure most if not everyone knows who at least three of them are, possibly all if you've really thought about it. Kunou herself will now be a secondary character for reasons that I can't hint at due to major spoilers. Most of all, you'll finally see Issei actually developing his hidden powers and then using them.**

**Speaking of the Boosted Gear, think I should clarify something I've only hinted at. The reason it's on Issei's right hand and the Divine Dividing is on Vali's left is because those are the prominent hands of themselves and their species (it's said the body's left side is linked to the Devil), which is meant to represent how our main duo are as similar and connected as they are different from one another.**

**By this point, I think it's clear the main theme for this version of the trilogy is the divide between the Human & Supernatural Worlds, along with how the two help with rebuilding the bridge the Great War made everyone burn. I felt this was the simplest way to represent it, and I apologize for not clearing this up sooner. That was completely my goof there.**

**Without any further ado, it's time to officially begin the Kyoto arc!**

* * *

**()**  - Albion Talking via the Divine Dividing

 **[]**  - Ddraig Talking via the Boosted Gear

 **«»**  - Consciousness of any other Sacred Gear Talking

 **〖〗**  - Voice Speaking through a Magic Circle

 **【】**  - Voice made by an Announcement or through an Announcer

 **「」**  - Insert Song Beginning or Ending

『』 - Electrical Voice or Machine Speaking

* * *

**_Chapter 10 - Fallen into Kyoto_ **

Having finally reached the borders of Kyoto's city, the Fallen Angel group released a huge sigh before sitting on a nearby bench.

"OK, we're finally inside..." Yuuma groaned, guzzling the rest of her water.

Slowly turning her head, she moved her eyes towards the blonde who she gave the Ace of Clubs to.

"Mittelt, search for any nearby food on your phone." She asked.

"Got it..." The blonde replied, feeling hungry after hearing it.

Then she looked at the only male of the group who wore a fedora and trench coat, the one who she gave the Ace of Spades to.

"Dohnaseek, you go do recon since you're somehow not a boiling mess under all the black clothes you have on." She ordered.

"Oh... that explains the look you gave me earlier." He realized, slightly looking to the side.

He got up and did that, right as Yuuma turned to the tall girl with blue hair, the one who held the Ace of Diamonds card.

"Kalawarner, give my neck and shoulders a rub. They're so sore it's giving me a headache." She winced, rubbing them.

Poking Yuuma's neck, the Fallen Princess let out a small yep.

"Whoa... you're not kidding, I can already tell you have a few knots in there." Kalawarner realized.

Kneading her hands into Yuuma's neck, the daughter of Azazel began to relax a little before looking at the one who held the Ace of Hearts.

"And for you Suzaku, I want you to-" The Fallen Princess began.

"No worries, already on it." She replied.

"Thank you." Yuuma smiled, relaxing into Kalawarner's massage.

Opening up her hand, Suzaku formed a small bird of fire and then tossed it up, giving it more height as it flew over the city.

* * *

In the area of the Kyoto Imperial Palace that was only accessible by those of the Supernatural World, the Hyoudou Siblings and Vali were all currently standing side by side as they looked between a man. Their parents and the others watching from the side.

This man had a somewhat pudgy build with reddish skin that resembled a permanent sunburn, white hair like a Lion's mane, and wearing a white Gi that was opened to reveal his deceivingly toned chest.

"Attention little young bloods! before we start, do any of you know who I am!?" He shouted.

Vali raised her head.

"You, the Devil Princess!" He stated, pointing at her.

"Susanoo, the Shinto God of Storms and the one who introduced the concept of weather into the world due to being the first weather deity." She answered.

He chuckled at that, flashing a bright smirk.

"That's right, I'm Susanoo in the flesh!" The Shinto Storm God exclaimed.

'He sure is loud.' Issei thought.

"Now, the first major part of our training? We need to know which among the three great powers works with you! Is it Magic, is Chi, or is it Prana!?" Susanoo shouted, pointing at the Hyoudou Siblings.

Walking closer to them, he hummed as he tried to detect any signs for which ones they had affinity for.

"Yes, it's clear you haven't had direct training in this area just yet. It seems none of you have any signs of which power you'll use. Honestly, it amazes me how Humans are the only race that lack a set standard for this." He stated.

Issei blinked at that, looking at Vali.

"Certain species and the Pantheons who make the Three Great Powers have a certain affinity towards a certain energy. For example? The Youkai are mostly Chi users, but on occasion there can be one that uses magic or prana, while its outright rare to be able to wield two or even all three." She explained.

"But Humans don't follow this because of their unique power of Adaptability, it's likely why it's hard to tell what Sacred Gear a person may be born with." Susanoo added.

Nodding his head in understanding, the Shinto deity continued.

"We will start today by having you learn what you favor and then developing your skills from there. Now, Homura!" He stated, releasing a loud yell at the end.

"Y-yes sir, uh... Uncle Susanoo!?" She asked.

He blinked for a moment, laughing as he remembered these three were technically his nephew and nieces because Shinri was his parents' adoptive son.

"I'm an uncle!" He exclaimed to the skies.

Vali face palmed at that, soon clearing her throat to get his attention, causing him to blush in embarrassment.

"Uh... right, right! For you Homura? Since you were interested in the Murakumo, we will give you the chance to see if you are capable of wielding it!" Susanoo announced.

Kunou's eyes widened in disbelief while Amino showed slight surprise at that.

"You'll really let me have it!?" Homura exclaimed, her eye sparkles returning.

"Hold it little fireball, we're giving you a chance to try holding it. Just because you want to use it doesn't mean it'll accept you." Susanoo chuckled.

"Uh... I don't get it? Why wouldn't I be able to hold it?" She blinked, looking confused.

Walking up to her side, Vali kneeled by her ear.

"Legendary swords are strong, but normal ones have the downside of their users having to learn how to wield them from scratch. Holy Swords and Cursed Swords are different because only specific people can wield them." She revealed.

"Really?" Homura asked in surprise.

"That's right. Cursed Swords will drain the life force of those who don't have the incredibly rare HH blood-type, like those of Sigurd's bloodline. Holy Swords on the other hand require a certain set of genes that synchronize with the holy elements making each one, and require at least 75% of the same genes, otherwise they'll feel too heavy to be used." Vali explained.

The redheaded sister of the Hyoudou siblings blinked for a moment before realizing it.

"Basically, the Murakumo's gene requirement might be too different from mine?" Homura summarized, looking a bit worried.

"Exactly, and even if you can, you want to be closer to 100% or you'll struggle to naturally wield it at first." Susanoo added.

She got a bit nervous, but quickly switched back to her confident look.

"I'm still going to try it, so let me see the Murakumo!" Homura shouted.

"Kid? You and I are going to get along just fine." Susanoo smirked, clapping his hands slightly.

Nodding his head, Izanagi made a magic circle to transport the sheathed blade into view. Walking up to it, everyone watched as the confident redhead looked at it, then sweated a bit as she grabbed the handle with the intent to draw it out.

_'Holy Swords require a certain set of genes that synchronize with the holy elements that make each one. If you have the very genes that let you wield them, then taming the sword's power will be a sheer matter of will.'_

Feeling those words echo as she focused on the sword, a bead of sweat trickled down her face before she gave a mighty shout, pulling the blade up.

*"SLASH!"*

Everyone's eyes widened as they watched, with Homura's eyes closed as she took a moment to register what had happened... then opened one before gasping, seeing her holding the unsheathed sword in her hand, and realizing it felt light as a feather!

"She actually drew it!" Amino exclaimed.

"It doesn't even seem heavy to her going by her reaction." Yasaka mentioned.

"Amazing... I haven't seen anyone with such a compatibility to that sword since the 5th century!" Izanami praised.

Homura took a closer look at the blade, seeing its full design.

It was a katana with a crystalline, upwards serrated edge that had an otherwise dark purplish metal that marked its origin from within Orochi's body, with a golden hilt that resembled the ornate accessories in Yasaka's hair. The grip area itself was also gold in color.

"That's cool, so what's the sword able to do?" Issei asked, wondering how it compared to the legends.

"Same as you've read about. With just one swing, it can manipulate the wind itself, possibly creating a storm if you have the right strength." Susanoo revealed.

"Really? Alright, then let's try it out!" Homura smiled.

Unfortunately, no one had time to warn her not to swing it yet, and everyone was immediately struck by the powerful gale that she unleashed. Though it was the sword's new wielder that was the most affected, being flung into the sky and towards the nearby lake.

"Homura!" Fubuki screamed, being one of the rare few times she was loud as she stretched her hand out to her.

Before she knew it, a burst of magic flew out, creating white flash that froze the water where Homura was going to land, forming a crystalline gemstone shape that softened her fall instead of the water.

"Eh?" The redhead blinked, looking at it.

"D-did I just..." Fubuki asked softly.

Shinri and Eve looked at their two daughters, looking at them in surprise while switching between which they stared towards.

"Fubuki just used magic, without even being taught how!" Vali exclaimed, answering everyone's thoughts.

Realizing the icy ground she was on wouldn't last forever, Homura quickly used Murakumo as a paddle to get back to land, eventually running back to where she had been launched away from in the first place.

"Amazing, guess having Eve as their mother meant the moment they knew what their strengths were, they adapted to them easily. Though I'm not sure how Fubuki managed to use magic when she was the only one who didn't join Vali's lesson on creating light back when they were really young." Lucifer remarked.

"I do recall seeing Fubuki hiding nearby on occasion, listening from a distance. I think she naturally knew what to do from her unconscious mind alone." Lilith theorized.

The white-haired Hyoudou sister blushed at that.

'Fubuki too? Why are both of my sisters ahead of me in figuring out what they can do!?' He thought, mentally crying at the fact.

Vali smiled and rubbed the new magic user's head, making her blush even more.

"Nice going from both of you. The kind of abilities you two showed would be perfect if someone gave you a Knight and Bishop from their unused Evil Pieces." She praised.

"Evil Pieces?" Issei repeated.

Hearing that, she and her parents froze for a moment as they realized they had completely forgotten to mention them. Shinri and Eve both began laughing as a result.

"Right, guess we never talked to you about that before. Guess we should fix that." Lucifer realized.

"Allow me dad." Vali offered.

Holding out her left hand, a small wooden box formed, getting the Hyoudou Siblings' attention as she opened them up to reveal 15 black chess pieces and 1 red King piece.

"These are Evil Pieces, a set of special chess pieces made from a kind of crystal that's not only found in Hell, but only exist and grow in a single spot. Their main purpose? Reincarnating people while they're alive or deceased with intact bodies, as per our contract with Hades, into Devils." She explained.

"Did you just say... reincarnate? Like as in be reborn as something else?" Homura asked, shaking in surprise.

"Yes, but not the kind you're thinking of. You'll be the same aside from not only being whatever you used to be... or if you were originally a Human, no longer being such." Vali confirmed.

At that point, Lucifer decided to interject for what he knew was his area to explain.

"While it seems odd that we need these? Devils may have shorter pregnancies, but we also can't conceive as often, with only a few clans like that of my wife herself, Asmodeus' Clan, or the Phenex Family being exceptions. This left us with a hit after the Great War and then later a Civil War that happened 500 years ago. While the original Devils among us and the 72 Pillars survived..." He explained.

"Your population took a big hit, the kind that's like a certain species becoming endangered?" Fubuki assumed.

The Devil King nodded his head.

"We didn't know how to deal with it at first, but the Devil who Beelzebub took as a student after the Civil War managed to figure out how to create a breakthrough by making the Evil Pieces to make new Devils as a way to walk around the issue. As of now, we're the only species that has a complete system to do this." Lilith continued.

Issei took a look at the red King, realizing it must be connected to Vali herself based on what he knew about the game.

"This one's yours, right?" He asked.

"It is. King Pieces go to the Devils who own the peerage themselves, but since I have anyone in my peerage, it's merely cosmetic for now." The Devil Princess confirmed.

Picking up one of each type of piece, she began by holding a Pawn in her fingers, leaving the others in her palm.

"First we have the Pawns which have a single point value. Due to a kind of game, which I'll tell you all about some other time, we Devils play using our Evil Pieces? They're much stronger than in real Chess, doubly so because they still have the ability to promote." She explained.

"Meaning they're less sacrificial pieces and more like the scouts that help the stronger pieces analyze their opponents?" Homura guessed.

"Bingo!" Vali smiled, giving her a thumb's up.

She then rolled the pieces in her hand until the Bishop took place in her fingers.

"Then we have the Bishops that have a three-point value. These pieces are best for those with strong magic and/or long-ranged attacks, but those with healing powers are also a good choice." The Devil Princess explained.

"I'm guessing you were referring to me when you mentioned the Bishop before?" Fubuki asked, pointing at herself.

Vali nodded her head, soon showing the Knight in her fingers.

"Next we have the Knights that have a five-point value. Since Fubuki guessed this was the piece that fit her..." She continued, looking at a certain redhead in response.

"Hmm... I'd say it's best for those best at mid-range or all rounders, those who are fast, or use a weapon?" Homura guessed.

"That's right, and while I'm at it, this is a good point to mention Evil Pieces have innate boosts. Bishops enhance magic, while a Knight grants its wielder super speed, which is why giving someone the right piece is vital." Vali confirmed.

Right as she was about to switch to the Rook piece, Issei suddenly coughed to get everyone's attention.

"Before you say anything, I'd like to try and guess this one myself. Do you mind?" He requested.

"No, go ahead." Vali replied, smiling at her best friend.

Taking a moment, Issei thought about a few areas of what this piece would represent, and then...

"Rooks have a seven-point value, best for short-range fighters, and they amplify the user's attack and defenses to make them best for those who prefer close combat. Am I right?" He questioned.

"Whoa... Issei, if this was a test, you'd have gotten a perfect score for that answer." Vali replied, both shocked and impressed.

He gave a silent fist pump in response to that.

"And for the Queen? I don't think you need me to tell you that it's just a combination of the best from the previous three, but what I will say is that it's also the piece with the most weight behind who you give it to, since they're your second in command and the ones who represent you best aside from yourself." She continued.

"So, what does the King do then?" Issei asked.

"Probably the most different from its actual game counterpart. It gives you the same kind of boost as the Queen, but at a much higher level. The most important thing about that boost is it depends on your entire peerage to both function and decide on how strong it will be. Think of it like comparing the chess moves of an amateur to a professional." Vali explained.

Considering how bad the wielder of the Boosted Gear was at Chess, he understood that difference pretty well.

Especially since Vali was the one he usually played against during the few times he ever set up a Chess board.

"I'm guessing your parents have their own groups of... uh, what do you call people with Evil Pieces? Servants, retainers, aides, or..." Homura assumed, blinking a bit.

"Retainers is the word you're looking for, and that we do. The main difference is we've already used up all of ours." Lucifer confirmed.

"Although... Vali, haven't you forgotten one other thing?" Lilith replied, smiling as she stared her way.

The Devil Princess' eyes widened as she forgot about that, blushing in embarrassment as she held up one of her Bishops in response. This wasn't like the other as it was leaking out an aura.

"What's special about that piece?" Fubuki asked.

"This is what we call a Mutation Piece, a special piece that's lost its point value due to a beneficial glitch that allows it to reincarnate anyone that's not a full deity or a Buddha, since both are immune to them. Few Devils get one, and while it can be any piece, a set can only be created with a single Mutation Piece." Vali explained.

"Just so you know how rare? It took 50 years after they were first made for the first Mutation Piece to exist." Lilith mentioned.

All three siblings froze at that, making Susanoo laugh in response.

"Guess that's enough of a Devil's 101 break for you all. Now, let's get back to your training-"

"Hold it!" Izanagi interjected.

Looking at the sky, everyone looked at the leading man of the Shinto Pantheon before doing the same, seeing a red avian with flames across its body.

"Is that a phoenix!?" Issei exclaimed.

"No, it's close to one, but it isn't the same kind of fire bird. This one is an old friend." Izanagi explained, smiling a bit.

Whistling a bit, the very bird stopped and looked his way, releasing a loud cry before perching on the Life God's hand.

"Everyone? This is the Vermillion Bird of the South, a Youkai God that watches over the southern quadrant of Japan, also the one who gives the Head of the Himejima Clan the name of Suzaku." He revealed.

"Whoa! This bird's a God!?" Homura shouted in awe.

"Yes, but if she's here... ah, I think we know one of the people in the visiting group of Fallen Angels then." Izanami realized, smiling a bit.

The group looked at her in confusion.

"I think it may be a good idea for us to meet this group, so why don't we extend that little break on training for the moment?" She suggested, smiling a bit.

* * *

Yuuma stretched as her neck and shoulders were finally free of stress, evident by her rolling her right arm around without issue.

"Alright, looks like I'm back up to speed. Wonder if that teriyaki helped?" She remarked.

"Don't care if it did or not, that chicken was tasty." Mittelt smiled, rubbing her filled belly.

It was at that moment that Dohnaseek finally came back from his recon, getting Yuuma's attention as he shook his head, making her sigh.

"You'd think there'd be some clues about where he might be if she's here. I really hope this isn't one of those chase fake outs." She stated.

Looking up, Suzaku noticed the bird who's name she inherited fly into view, soon diving into her body.

"Everyone, it seems that we're about to get some visitors." She warned, giggling a bit.

The other four all blinked in surprise, right as they heard someone clear their throat, making them notice Izanagi leaning against a pillar as he waved at them. Yuuma immediately began to sweat, entering a panicked state.

"Oh god, Lord Izanagi! Uh... h-how are you?" She asked, beginning to resemble a windup toy.

"Just relax, I'm only here because of a certain Fallen Angel among your group." He reassured, looking at Suzaku as he said this.

Upon hearing her name, she released a slight giggle before opening her normally closed eyes to reveal the purple orbs they held.

"Good to see you, Lord Izanagi." She bowed.

"Same to you Suzaku, or would you rather I use your original name?" He replied.

"I keep telling you, no need to worry about calling me Akeno." Suzaku reassured.

At that moment, the others caught up to Izanagi.

"Hmm?" Yuuma blinked, noticing all of them.

The moment she caught Lucifer, Lilith, and Eve within the group, her eyes nearly bugged out in surprise.

'Is this legendary person meet up day!?' She thought.

"Ah, how rude of me. Lucifer and his family are here with Eve's family for training on our behalf. In particular, my grandson here just happens to be the current Red Dragon Emperor." Izanagi introduced, patting Issei's head.

"He's the Boosted Gear wielder!?" Mittelt exclaimed, looking at him.

Issei was quick to give an embarrassed chuckle, looking to the side.

"You must be Azazel's younger daughter, right? I think Yuuma was your name?" Vali greeted, walking into view.

"Ah... yes, and I believe you're Vali, the current White Dragon Emperor." She confirmed, looking a little nervous.

It was then the Devil Princess saw Suzaku, taking a moment.

"Your eyes seem familiar, but I'm not sure why? Hmm..." She thought, trying to connect the dots.

The Shinto Goddess of Spirits giggled after hearing that, getting Vali's attention.

"Because those are the eyes Baraqiel's known for, which makes sense due to her being the cadre's daughter." Izanami explained.

Vali's eyes widened as she looked at Suzaku, who giggled as she nodded.

"Seriously?" The Devil Princess asked, trying to be sure.

"Just as she said. My name's Suzaku Himejima, formerly known as Akeno before I was chosen by the Vermillion Bird to wield her power." She confirmed.

"Wait... aren't they and the other Five Principal Clans known for-" Vali asked.

"The Christian and Hindu Pantheons are exempt from that rule, mostly because they'd risk an international incident. She is the daughter of a cadre after all." Izanagi explained.

And with that, the Devil Princess nodded her head in understanding.

"Now, how about we move this conversation somewhere less public?" Izanami suggested, noticing the crowd starting to pick up.

* * *

Within the same hidden area of the Imperial Palace, the Fallen Angels were now present with the others, having a bit of tea.

"OK, guess for proper introductions... you know me and Suzaku, though the others with us? There's Mittelt over here." Yuuma began, motioning to her.

"And I'm the most awesome Fallen Angel ever!" She exclaimed, holding up her skirt.

Everyone briefly had a sweat drop at that.

"My name is Dohnaseek, the only man among the five of us." He greeted, tilting his hat.

'I understand how that feels.' Issei thought, as Vali and his sisters were everyone else his age in their own group.

"And I'm Kalawarner, consider myself the mom of the group." She greeted.

Yuuma sipped more tea as she slid out a picture.

"We're all here because we have to capture this woman, my own older sister..." She sighed.

Moving her hand, everyone saw she looked like Yuuma, but with her hair in a hime cut.

"That's definitely Raynare..." Lucifer sighed.

"Do you know why she's even here, or why she betrayed Grigori?" Susanoo questioned.

"No and no, but for now we're here on intercepting orders. We'll only raise it to elimination if I deem it as such. She's been nastier in recent years, but... I remember when she was kinder, and I want to believe it's not too late for her like my dad does." Yuuma confessed, grabbing her skirt.

Lucifer briefly paused at that, soon closing his eyes.

'I get it, especially with the guilt Azazel feels over all the bad choices he's made. Losing either of his children is he one thing no loving father wants to be burdened with.' He thought.

Standing up, he placed a hand on Yuuma's shoulder.

"Alright, we'll give you that chance. It is sort of a family matter when you think about it." He decided.

"Lord Lucifer... thank you." She replied, wiping her eyes slightly.

Vali smiled at her father's words, which is when Issei looked at Yuuma's group in interest.

"So, if no one minds me asking... what can a Fallen Angel do, especially Suzaku since it doesn't seem like she's a pure Fallen from what I've heard." He asked.

"And you'd be right, my mother is a Human with shrine maiden heritage." The Himejima head confirmed.

Yuuma wondered how to explain this, making an odd thinking face.

"Uh... how much do you know about normal Angels?" She asked, trying to get a basis.

"That they can make weapons of light and wield the power of Holy Light... and that's it." Issei answered, giving an awkward chuckle at the end.

"We're not that different, our light just has a bit of darkness in it." Yuuma answered.

Standing up, everyone watched as she made a light spear, but hers was colored red and looked like a wavy line. The others did the same, with Mittelt's being pink, Dohnaseek's being blue, and Kalawarner's being yellow.

Suzaku on the other hand showed her hand generating lightning in the Holy Light's normal white shade, since Baraqiel was known for his Holy Lightning.

"That last one seems different." Homura remarked, looking at Suzaku's power.

"It is, Baraqiel's virtue when he was still in Heaven allowed his light to manifest as lightning." Lucifer explained.

"For the powers I get from my mom's side? There's a lot to say there, so I can't really show you until I need to. I can say that it does manifest in my preference over the elements of fire in the same vein my father's heritage gives me power over lightning." She explained further.

Vali whistled at that.

"And I thought my heritage combined with my Longinus was impressive." The Devil Princess stated.

Looking at Issei, she hummed a bit.

"I think I've got an idea on what your power is, and yet I can tell you haven't been able to draw out any of it. Probably doesn't help the best teacher for him isn't even here." Suzaku remarked.

"You're right, neither of your daughters are here." Yuuma realized, looking at the Grand Shinto duo.

"That's right, because of your sister, Amaterasu's currently on watch duty until Tsukuyomi switches with her once the night comes." Izanami confirmed.

Issei took out a notebook, adding Tsukuyomi to his list of deities that weren't the gender the legends marked them as.

"Since we can't really do much until we get more information, how about I help ease that burden for you? It would be a good way to pass the time." She suggested.

A chill went through the son of Eve's body, which was only worsened when her group shifted a bit away from Suzaku.

'Maybe I should decline... or is that one of those times where I still end up being forced to accepting yes, only worse than it would have been had I said yes on my own?' He thought, unsure if he should reply anymore.

"A little warning Suzaku, don't show the sadistic side you got from your mother, otherwise Eve will kill you." Lilith chuckled, her eyes giving a shadowed look.

The head of the Himejima Clan suddenly became the fearful one.

'Wondered how long the mood wings would take to kick in.' Lucifer thought, nervously sipping his tea.

"She's not kidding either." Eve warned, keeping a normal smile.

And that got Suzaku even more unnerved, despite the fact that Eve didn't emit any aura or anything. It was just the fact she was smiling when she said this.

"R-right... I promise not to bring it out." Suzaku agreed, trembling slightly.

'Thank goodness, that was a little scary.' Issei thought, breathing in relief.

At that moment, a Tenguu appeared next to Yasaka, whispering something to her. That got her attention as she stood up.

"You'll need to excuse me, it seems that Lord Sakra would like to have a meeting with me over something." She apologized.

"No problem, I'll help Amino until you come back." Izanami reassured her.

Bowing to fully excuse herself, Yasaka disappeared in a ghostly blue flame, making Issei's eyes widen at that.

"Wait... dad, haven't we seen you do that before?" He recalled.

"That's a staple of all-powerful Youkai." Shinri answered.

All of the Hyoudou Siblings froze before turning at their father, making him realize what he had just said.

"You were going to slip up eventually, so I think letting me explain the rest is a good idea." Izanami giggled.

Clearing her throat, she faced her grandchildren.

"I'm surprised none of you have asked me this, but did it ever occur to you why I'm not trapped in Yomi as stated in the Japanese legends?" She asked.

"We thought that might be rude to ask." Fubuki admitted.

"Aw, thank you for being so considerate. Though I don't mind talking about it at all. Not only that, it's actually a part of why we adopted your father in the first place." Izanami smiled.

Clearing her throat, the Goddess of Spirits began.

"Yomi as known in the legends was a realm of death, but in actuality? It was a parasitic monster that temporarily killed me at the time I was birthing Kagutsuchi, then after I was out of sight, restored my vitals and swallowed me inside of it." She revealed.

"U-uh... excuse me, I need a minute." Fubuki apologized.

She rushed to the bathroom, quickly expelling the continents of her stomach for a while, making Kunou look concerned.

"I'll... go help her out." She offered.

Everyone waited a few minutes until they came back, with Fubuki taking her seat.

"C-continue..." She said softly.

"Anyways, it didn't take long before Elohim realized that my soul wasn't in Heaven, as the Second Heaven was still too small to house that many souls. Izanagi quickly started looking, which is when he traced me into the monster and jumped inside to get me out." Izanami continued.

"Wow, that is both brave and gross." Issei remarked, his right eye twitching.

Homura struggled not to laugh, which made Izanagi blush a little.

"The legend continues in general from there, but when he actually saw me? He told me... actually, you should hear him say it." She suggested, winking at him.

"Wow, embarrassing much? Fine then...  _I think you look beautiful, as no matter what you look on the outside, you're still my wife on the inside_." He quoted.

All of the Hyoudou Siblings leaked out a few tears, while Vali outright sniffled form it.

"That's true love right there... true love!" She praised.

Izanagi blushed once again, looking away in embarrassment as his wife continued.

"Unfortunately, he wasn't able to get me out that time, hence the part of the legend where he left me. That's where things differed since I left a trace of my power with him to help him escape. After his escape, he washed himself as he thought of a new plan, and I think you all know what happened after that." Izanami smiled.

"That's how the Shinto Trio was born, wasn't it?" Fubuki realized, looking at their Uncle.

"Exactly! Only difference is Tsukuyomi being a girl." He confirmed.

Izanami giggled a bit, then began resuming the last bit of her story.

"With our three new children and Kagutsuchi, the five of them stormed Yomi again, eventually helping her escape after Elohim, Shekhinah, and the Trimurti came to aid us. That's when Earth was truly formed beyond what the Dragons had called home." She finished.

"Hold on, did you just say Earth was formed back then?" Issei questioned, raising an eye.

She winked a bit, making a shushing motion.

"No, no. That'll be my little secret until you get far enough into your training. Consider it incentive, especially after learning Lucifer's backstory for free." Izanami stated.

"Aw, no fair!" Homura pouted.

Fubuki rubbed her sister's back, and that's when the last bit of the story continued.

"Now, when I finally got out, we all noticed the Youkai Realm, and how my life force was a bit different compared to the other deities. It was more astral and spiritual than it was physical. That didn't mean I was a Youkai, but that led to me creating the means for them to start coming into existence, and  _that_  is related to your father's situation." She finished.

The three siblings were still a little confused at that.

"Remember that one part of my backstory? You three were able to figure out that was your father the moment I said it, but that also means something else." Lucifer mentioned.

Homura gasped and hit her fist into her palm, figuring it out.

"Mom told us the entire Human race had gone extinct! If that's true, then our dad shouldn't be here... unless something happened to him during that period!" She exclaimed.

"Hey... you're right, how'd we never think about that?" Fubuki realized.

"Yeah, something happened. I had my life force altered because while the rest of Humanity began from zero... I guess you could say your mom got rewarded and I was the sole exception." Shinri explained.

Coughing a bit, Izanami pointed at herself as if to say she was the reason behind it.

"Anyways, my internal body is more like a Youkai, but I'm definitely Human externally. Best way to define it is I'm a Human who has Youkai powers." He summarized it.

"Then why don't we have them?" Homura questioned.

"Simple, because Youkai are unable to cross genes like other races. A union with a Youkai, regardless if the other partner's different kind of Youkai or another species, has their children's species depend on who the mother is." Izanagi explained.

All of them blinked at that.

"We mean it, that's not a joke. It wouldn't have mattered if your dad was a full Youkai simply because your mom being Human was all that mattered in the end." Izanami stated.

Eve giggled at their following reaction, which was them showing their brains hurt by some form of touching or holding their heads.

* * *

Yasaka was seen with a few Youkai who were escorting her as she walked towards Mount Meru, being a small group of Kitsune, Tenguu, and a few others.

As they walked, a silhouette could be seen following them within the shadows of their current environment.

"Hmm... Lady Yasaka, is it possible that we may be near some kind of residence?" A Tenguu asked worriedly.

"Not that I'm aware of, why do you ask?" She inquired.

"I'm not sure, but it feels like something's watching us, yet I don't really sense any danger here either." He replied.

As this happened, the silhouette rushed by, and many of the Youkai fell to the ground, somehow making no sound.

"We are near Mount Meru, so it may be one of the species allied with them." Yasaka replied.

Right as she did, the same silhouette knocked all of the Kitsune out, one again leaving no sound to alert the others to what had happened as it got ever closer to Yasaka's position.

"Yes, perhaps we have no reason to-" The Tenguu agreed.

His sentence never finished, which is when Yasaka turned to see him and the other Tenguu on the ground, leaving her guard dropped long enough as what was revealed to be Raynare smirked.

With glowing red eyes, she lunged ahead before the Youkai leader could react.

* * *

A week later, Fubuki was seen in part of the palace's outside training areas, with Yuuma and Mittelt (who had a bag of barbecue chips) seen with her.

"Since we have no new information on my sister, and Susanoo would rather nap... we'll be helping you train. Well, I'll be helping, Mittelt's just here to watch the training." Yuuma stated.

"I'd rather wait and watch instead of wait and do nothing." Mittelt remarked, biting a chip.

Fubuki gave an awkward chuckle at the latter part.

"Let's see... if I recall correctly, you've learned that the magic is the energy system you're able to use. However, what's surprising is you never tried to use it when you froze the ground where your sister was about to fall?" Yuuma recalled.

The white-haired Hyoudou sister nodded her head.

"I'm not good with people... I usually prefer to be with my mom all the time." She quietly confessed, looking to the side.

'So cute!' Yuuma and Mittelt thought.

Getting her focus back, the daughter of Azazel thought for a bit about what she did.

"For my honest opinion? I think you may be a natural talent for magic. However, I can't be sure until you show us firsthand." She guessed.

"Uh... so, you want me to try casting some?" Fubuki asked.

"Just think of what you did before, since magic focuses on making images in the mind become a reality." Mittelt stated.

Taking a deep breath, the quiet magic user closed her eyes, trying to think of that image as she held her hands out.

Before either Fallen Angel could realize it, a whole image of frozen crystals floated around her, making the short blonde drop her bag of chips without realizing it.

"A-amazing! If I didn't know any better, she might have a Sacred Gear that controls ice!" Mittelt exclaimed.

Yuuma wondered at that, taking out a device to scan her, making Fubuki blink a bit.

『"Sacred Gear analysis: Negative."』

"No, her powers are hers and hers alone. I think she just naturally has incredible magic... or maybe some kind of ability related to magic." She wondered.

This stumped the duo, but then...

"Hold on a second. Fubuki, do you have a tendency to think a lot?" Yuuma asked.

"Yeah, I usually do think a lot because I don't really feel like talking. Would that mean anything?" She confirmed, rubbing her foot across the ground.

"I think that explains it. You must have been thinking so often, it indirectly helped you learn to use magic in advance." The Fallen Princess confirmed.

Mittelt hummed a bit.

"Then again, she might have a rare ability that works well with magic no one's ever since. Though if not that... considering Humans are the only species with the power of adaptability, Fubuki may have developed her own unique ability." She suggested.

Hearing that theory made the youngest Hyoudou Sibling blush.

"Are... are you sure I could do something like that? I mean, it sounds like Humans are special, but... they can't be  _that_  special." Fubuki asked.

"Wow, so your parents haven't told you the greatest achievement of your species?" Yuuma replied with surprise.

Fubuki's eyes blinked a bit, wondering what they meant by that.

"I think it's best you learn about that from them. After all, we're focusing on training you for now." Mittelt remarked.

"Says the one who's only watching?" Yuuma smirked, looking at her.

The Fallen Angel shrugged her arms in response, picking up her dropped bag of barbecue chips.

* * *

Homura was currently seen with Dohnaseek and Kalawarner, holding the Murakumo in hand.

"So, you're the newest wielder of the Murakumo, and it seems like you've got a high match with the required genes. You're like a walking lottery." Dohnaseek smirked.

"But the downside is your lack of control?" Kalawarner assumed.

Homura gave an embarrassed laugh, remembering the other day.

"Eh... may have swung the sword, created a strong wind from it, and then got flung into a lake my sister barely kept me from falling into." She confessed.

Kalawarner shook her head at that.

"Well, if you want our honest opinion? We need to see you create the wind and let us judge it... without using tornado level strength?" Dohnaseek asked.

"Right, I'll make sure of that." Homura chuckled, blushing in embarrassment.

Holding the legendary blade out, she gave a light slash, creating an odd gale that flung her into the wall. The Fallen duo winced upon seeing her making contact with it, followed by the redheaded Hyoudou sister releasing a pained grown.

"Yep, that hurt..." She winced.

Getting back on her feet, she glared at her sword as if she felt it wasn't listening to her at all.

"I thought you let me wield you, so listen to me already!" She demanded.

"Wait, I don't think you should-" Kalawarner tried to warn her.

The moment she said that, the sword's aura flared out in a vicious manner, and she began to sweat as she tried to hold the now enraged sword's will. It was only seconds before she pulled around by the katana, which threatened to slice everything and everything to pieces.

"Drop it!" The Fallen duo shouted.

Feeling a bit worried, she listened and then dropped to the ground, where its aura finally ceased.

"Oh man... why did it start fighting me like that?" She asked.

"It's most likely because of the legend tied to the sword." Dohnaseek guessed.

Homura looked at the duo in confusion.

"Before its current name, the Murakumo had been known as the Kusanagi due to its skill in cutting entire fields of grass with a mere swing. That all changed when Orochi devoured the sword in the Great War." He explained.

"During the years between then and when Susanoo had to defeat him, the Dragon's powerful venom should have dissolved it. The blade avoided this fate because it managed to flow with the venom to evolve, leading to it becoming the blade it is now, but that's also the problem. It inspired the many katana afterwards, which were not blades of magic, and were known for striking fast and gracefully." Kalawarner continued.

Taking a moment to sink in, Homura managed to realize what they were telling her.

"I get it... I'm trying to force the sword to do what I want, but the magic part I'm a little less understanding of." She replied.

Kalawarner chuckled awkwardly at that.

"Let me explain that. It doesn't like you using magic, chi, or prana to command its power. It reminds it too much of Orochi, who in a sense gave the sword his own temper." Dohnaseek clarified.

"Seriously?" Homura replied with surprise.

Kalawarner walked by her, feeling her hand in a few spots as the Murakumo's wielder reflexively released a bit of magic.

"Hmm... as I thought, you don't have very good magic potential. Even if the katana hates it, using it would lessen the force that it's sending back against you, which is why you can't resist it very well. If you tried using this in a real battle, then you'd have a high chance of seriously hurting an ally or civilian." She stated.

That really left Homura feeling down, as now not only did she now know her attempts to use her new sword were working against her, but to hear she had no magical skill? It was basically rubbing salt into the newly formed wound.

"So, even if I can wield it... I might not the right person for it?" She sighed, having her confidence crushed.

"Actually, it'll be the opposite once you can figure it out. Having no magic basically means this sword and you share something in common, a weakness you use to create your strength." Dohnaseek clarified.

"What do you mean?" Homura asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"Quite simple. If this sword hates the primordial energies, while you have little capability for it, then you're sure to draw its full power. Not only that, but most Knights that I've seen in Devil peerages use little to no magic." Kalawarner revealed.

Hearing that made the young sword wielder gasp.

"You've got enough to use magical storage, which is one of few exceptions Murakumo will take since it doesn't like being sheathed. The main focus now is to flow with the sword itself rather than force its command. Basically, try being one with the wind instead of commanding it." Dohnaseek explained.

With those words in mind, Homura picked up the legendary katana once again, feeling its aura spike again to show its irritation.

"Be like the Murakumo and its wind, not the master of it... guess this is going to be a real challenge for me." She realized, closing her eyes as she held it close.

Its aura calmed, realizing she finally began to understand it.

* * *

Meanwhile with Issei, he and Suzaku were seen together, with the former sighing as he sat on the ground.

"Ugh! No matter what I try, my energy won't manifest!" He screamed.

"Be patient, wielding the power of a Dragon is no accident, so you'll find the power within you one day. The problem right now is you have some kind of wall to overcome." Suzaku reassured him.

He gave her an odd look at that last part, making her giggle.

"If I recall what he told me right, Lucifer told you his story. Do you recall him talking about Atlantis, where he first met Leviathan?" She asked.

His eyes widened at that.

"Yeah, but... isn't that an ancient place now?" Issei questioned.

"No, it's simply hidden along with the continents of Lemuria and Mu, all of them are bunched like the other continents... in the vast open space you know as the apparently bare Pacific Ocean." Suzaku revealed.

"Are you serious!?" He exclaimed.

"More than that, it also happens to be the home of all prehistoric life... which have  _not_  gone extinct." She confirmed.

Issei's eyes widened at that.

Animals like the Dinosaurs, the Megalodon, and giant insects... all of them still lived in a hidden part of the world? Actually, now that he thought about it... he never found out where Dragons even lived.

"Hey, out of curiosity... do the Dragons-" He asked.

"They all live on Lemuria, the largest of the three hidden continents and the reason the life on the other two can still exist." Suzaku confirmed.

'No wonder the Dragons are so mighty, living through things like that.' Issei thought.

Placing her hand on the Boosted Gear's wielder, she looked closely into his eyes.

"Since you have the power of a Dragon through a Sacred Gear, that means you have a lot of power to tap into, one that a Humans' adaptability struggles to initially adapt to. That is the wall you need to break." Suzaku explained.

"But Vali is more attuned to her Devil nature, so only unlocking Albion's power was a challenge for her." Issei realized.

Nodding her head, the Head of the Himejima Clan opened her hand to create a bright flame while taking one of his.

"Uh... what are you doing?" He asked, sweating nervously.

"Ddraig's main power is his incredible flames, just as Albion fits Vali due to both having strong ties to the power of light. The best way to take your first step is to understand the flames you'll eventually wield." Suzaku explained.

Issei was about to panic as she placed the flame on them... though as they covered his hand, he noticed it wasn't burning or in pain.

"No way, it doesn't hurt." He realized.

"Looks like you're already starting to adapt to the power of Ddraig." Suzaku smiled.

"Yeah... guess I am." Issei replied, giving an awkward chuckle and grin in response.

* * *

Finally, the sight of Vali could be seen along with both of Yasaka's daughters for her own form of training, with Amino having a light spar with her. Dashing in front of the Kyuubi, the silvery-white haired Devil caught her off-guard.

"Let's see if you can keep up with these attacks!" Vali exclaimed, spinning her legs around.

Her kick managed to send Amino flying across the area, giving her an opening for a charge attack... only for the Youkai to vanish in ghostly blue flames that left Vali to stumble as she tried regaining her balance.

Right as she finally regained it, the Kyuubi Princess appeared before her, a finger pointing between her eyes as the Lucifer Heiress lifted her hands up.

"You're definitely strong for your age, but also still quite unrefined." She mentioned.

"Should have figured you'd be able to best me like that." Vali chuckled nervously.

Kunou giggled at that.

"Of course, my mom's flames are strong enough to match those of Vritra's." The young Kyuubi said with pride.

Vali sweated at that revelation.

 **(That's not much to brag about when he's the weakest of the Evil Dragons...)**  Albion remarked, shaking her head.

'Not the point.' She replied, still nervous.

Amino stretched a bit as she went to grab her water bottle, right as Kunou tugged on Vali's shirt.

"Hmm?" The Lucifer Heiress blinked, looking at her.

"Um... out of curiosity, what's it like in places outside of Kyoto?" She asked, curiosity shining through her eyes.

Vali's eyes widened at that.

 **('That's an interesting question, I get the feeling she isn't asking them without a deeper reason.')**  Albion thought, paying attention to her words and movements.

The Devil Princess began answering her, getting Amino's attention as she noticed her sister's look.

* * *

Back inside the palace, Lucifer and the others were watching the training everyone was going through, while also dealing with Lilith's pregnancy cravings.

The one she had right now somehow led to her being given... pizza with marshmallows, chocolate dipped pickles, and sprinkles for toppings. Needless to say, all of them were a little weirded out, even her husband.

"Ugh... not sure if this is better than the chicken lathered with ice cream and jalapenos when she was pregnant with Vali." He remarked.

"I think having anything the Grim Reapers, Hades, or Persephone eat would be a worse craving for her to get." Shinri said, shivering a bit.

Lucifer went a bit green in the face at that.

"Don't remind me, I don't know how that food in Tartarus looks and smells like it does... or why any of them even like it." He replied.

"Lucifer, get me more food before I skin you!" Lilith screamed, giving an angry growl.

He jumped at that, right as the Devil Queen immediately switched to loud crying.

"Why won't you feed me sweetie? Don't you love me?" She cried, holding her arm over her eyes as she sobbed.

The Devil King sweated a bit.

"Both of you remind me to either not consider a third child, or at least write a list to prepare myself for any third pregnancy she might consider." He begged, looking at Shinri and Eve.

"S-sure thing!" Eve replied, struggling not to laugh at him.

He immediately left to find his wife more food, right as one of the Tenguu stumbled into view. Everyone (other than Lilith) looked at him in worry.

"You were with Yasaka's escort, why are you back?" Izanagi asked, already knowing it was bad news.

"It's... it's... Lady Yasaka has been kidnapped!" He exclaimed.

Everyone froze at that, while Izanagi looked at his wife's shared expression of frozen worry.

"This is bad... very, very bad..." They both said in unison.

* * *

**Oh boy... somehow, Raynare of all people managed to kidnap Yasaka, using incredible stealth and some kind of unknown power to achieve it. Question is why did she kidnap the Youkai Leader in the first place? Considering how Raynare is in canon... do we really need a reason for her to do something crazy? The only real change she has is the hime cut I gave her hair to help her look a little different from Yuuma.**

**As you can see, the last member of Raynare's crew is Akeno, but I've fused her and Suzaku together. My reasoning for this? They look similar to each other for one, but the main reason is due to the close ties the Christian and Shinto Pantheons have in this story, as the Himejima Clan would end up in serious trouble if they pulled what they did in canon.**

**We've also gotten our first glimpses on what kind of abilities Issei's sisters will develop. Homura gets a focus on wind through the Murakumo, while Fubuki's got incredible magic potential with a focus on ice. This was actually hinted a few chapters ago, Fubuki was said to be the winter to Homura's summer, and what's prominent in these seasons? Ice and thunderstorms.**

**More questions have also been revealed, such as why Shinri is the adoptive son of Izanagi and Izanami, along with the fact he's got Youkai powers. There's also how King Pieces work compared to canon, with the Evil Pieces being black having an important part you'll learn by the arc's end. However, now we have a new question... what does the last part of Izanami's story mean?**

**Until next time everyone, and stay awesome! ^^**


	11. Chapter 11

**Here we are with the next chapter of the Kyoto arc, which is officially the first chapter I've written for 2019 due to the previous having been made before. Anyways, the previous chapter helped make things get closer to V9's events, so the action's going to pick up as our heroes' training won't just be harmless sparring anymore... especially since Issei's sisters are going to be having their fight genuine fights.**

**It won't be all serious fights though, as there is going to be a little something in the training regimen that most of you should enjoy. While I can't give you any hints to it, aside from how it will be used to gauge those in said training and mark where everyone in the main group is compared to one another, the one thing I can say is that it's something exciting.**

**Oh, and for anyone that's worried over how I'll take care of Lucifer and the others being present, since they'd end the whole conflict before it begins? I've already got that covered. Best part is unlike the original story, it won't be anything like how Tiamat and Fafnir's inability to ever help the main duo was somewhat forced... and probably not the smartest choice for group mentors.**

**With that cleared up, time to get this chapter started!**

* * *

**()**  - Albion Talking via the Divine Dividing

 **[]**  - Ddraig Talking via the Boosted Gear

 **«»**  - Consciousness of any other Sacred Gear Talking

 **〖〗**  - Voice Speaking through a Magic Circle

 **【】**  - Voice made by an Announcement or through an Announcer

 **「」**  - Insert Song Beginning or Ending

『』 - Electrical Voice or Machine Speaking

* * *

**_Chapter 11 - Light the Fire_ **

The shock of Yasaka's capture finally died down a bit, with everyone gathered together as they tried to figure out the full weight of the current situation. Izanagi sighed as he sat down, placing his hands on his lap.

"Right now, the only thing that makes sense is Raynare must be involved in this somehow. Though if she's the kidnapper, the one who requested the kidnapping, or kidnapped at someone's request is what I have no knowledge of." He stated.

"Father, allow me to gather my sisters and brother. I believe the kidnapper used our search for Raynare to keep us from accompanying Yasaka to guarantee her capture by someone who only had the strength to do so while we were absent." Susanoo requested.

Izanagi looked at his son before nodding his head.

"Granted, for the Youkai Leader to be captured at all means they planned in advance." He agreed.

The Storm deity immediately disappeared in a flash of lightning, making Lilith panic as she grabbed the table as a weapon, making everyone's eyes widen at her angry face.

"Where's the burglar!? I'll destroy them!" She demanded.

"Honey, put the table down! There's no burglar!" Lucifer exclaimed, unsure if he should approach or walk away.

Panting a bit, the Devil Queen put the furniture back in place.

"Was she this bad during her last pregnancy?" Shinri questioned.

"No... which I hope is a sign that this one might be a boy and not something worse." Lucifer answered.

Eve looked up a bit, trying to recall her three pregnancies.

"I don't remember anything different between having Issei, so maybe it's because it's been 10 years since her last kid?" She suggested.

The Devil King gulped in response, looking to the side.

At that moment, Amino chose to walk into the room.

"You wanted to speak with me?" She asked, noticing the awkwardness of the situation.

Izanami nodded her head, walking up to her.

"Please don't scream, but... we need you to manage the Leylines for an unknown amount of time because your mom was just kidnapped." She revealed.

"Wait... what? What do you mean my mom's-" Amino exclaimed, nearing a scream.

A hand immediately slammed over her mouth, making Izanami give her a deadpan stare that nearly caused her husband to start laughing.

"Didn't I just tell you not to scream?" She inquired, tapping her foot.

The Kyuubi blushed as the Goddess removed her palm, sighing a bit.

"Anyways... like we just said, your mother's absence means you need to keep the Leylines in check until we can get her back. We'll need to find and rescue her while my children and the other Shinto Deities stay behind to help you guard Kyoto from anything worse." Izanami continued.

"Understood." She replied, nodding slightly.

Lucifer turned to his wife, then at Izanagi.

"I'll stay as well, with the baby leaving her on the sidelines, I'm not willing to leave her side." He decided.

"That's fine, but... doing that would mean we'd need to take Vali on the rescue mission." Izanagi warned.

"Honestly? After what brought us to start this training journey, it was clear she wouldn't be able to avoid this anymore. This may very well be part of the course." Lucifer replied.

With those words being said, Izanagi's thoughts had unfortunate come to the same conclusion.

"Yes, perhaps so..." He agreed.

* * *

Hours later, after night had fallen over Kyoto, all of the training groups were seen gather together in a training area in a different part of the palace's interior.

They were currently all changing into shared jean shorts, black training gloves, black & white training sneakers, and shirts of various colors that matched those of the color markers used to define one's rank in karate.

"Uh... why are we all wearing these shirts?" Fubuki asked, wearing a white one.

"It acts as an indicator of where your skills are currently at. For example? You and I can't spar together, because the winner would obviously be me every time." Vali answered, giggling a bit.

The Devil Princess was seen as the only one wearing a black-colored shirt, marking the skill developed by her heritage and Lilith's firm yet fair style of parenting.

Fubuki blinked in confusion, making Homura (wearing a green shirt) sigh as she walked up to her and place a hand on her shoulder, getting her sister's attention.

"Sis, this is why dad recommended you at least watch us over the years." She explained.

Issei stretched as he was shown in a red shirt, while the members of Yuuma's group were red for Dohnaseek and Kalawarner, black for Suzaku, blue for Mittelt, and for yellow it was Kunou and... to her embarrassment, Yuuma.

"Seriously?" The Boosted Gear wielder asked, staring at the color worn by Azazel's daughter.

"H-hey! It's not my fault that I'm not usually a fighter, or brave, or... everything else my sister is." She replied, soon lowering her head.

Realizing he accidentally crossed a line, Issei pat her on the back.

"Well... at least you're kind, that's a good thing." He mentioned.

That brought some of her smile back, though the tension in the room hadn't cleared, so Vali cleared her throat to get everyone's attention.

"Issei, you and I will go first." She stated, finally getting her gloves on.

"Right." He nodded, rushing onto the circle representing a battle arena.

Holding out her hand, Rassei formed from a magic square, looking at his master as she smiled at him.

"Do you mind giving us the start signal?" She requested.

Giving out his usual sound in response, he flew over to the side opposite from the others and then lifted his head up to release a small spark that burst like a sparkler.

Immediately rushing ahead, Vali managed to land a hit on Issei, slightly pushing him back despite his guarding. Dashing after him immediately after, he threw his fists forward, turning them slightly in midair. Vali moved one arm at a time to parry the blows, only briefly being slowed down.

"She has a good rhythm to fighting style. It's like her body even need to think, it just knows." Mittelt remarked.

"Because that's exactly what she's doing." Suzaku replied.

Everyone looked at her, a bit confused by what she meant.

"Vali's fighting style was created by Lucifer after the original Phenex, better known as Hou-ou Phenex, decided to teach him martial arts for situations where he needed to use physical force over magic or his signature elements. Fittingly, he named the style after his Morning Star title, which is today considered by the supernatural world to be the complete version of the Jiu-Jitsu used as its basis." She explained.

Homura took notice of the Devil ancestor's name.

"Was she Chinese before joining Lucifer? Because that's what her name sounds like." She asked.

Suzaku giggled at that, making her give a confused look.

"While China did exist back then, Humanity wasn't as diverse back then. The Tower of Babel legend is more of a metaphor for how the Supernatural World didn't bring Humanity back in, which in turn had their scattered members create the different cultures and languages they use today." The Himejima Head explained.

Fubuki took a moment to think before she widened her eyes in realization.

"You're saying in the past, everyone was the same, making the Humanity of our time much more diverse. I bet aside from maybe you, none of the others actually know Japanese." She stated.

"Exactly, so Hou-ou couldn't be Chinese per say due to when she was born. This has benefits since it lets the Supernatural factions be made more aware of differences and how such different people can exist together without issue." Suzaku confirmed.

Petting the white-haired Hyoudou sister's head, Fubuki blushed a bit.

"So, how similar to one another was the old Humanity?" Homura asked.

"I'm not sure, but the adults should be aware of that considering they were all alive during that point of time." Yuuma mentioned.

Taking the lead, Issei tried to knock Vali out... only for her to slide her arm into his stomach, giving her a chance for a punch to sneak through. He found himself being pushed back, struggling to keep his balance. Right as Vali went in for another strike, he readied his own...

But as he charged ahead, Vali dashed forward and snuck her own punch under his own, striking him while his guard was completely down. As a result, Issei tumbled across the arena until he flew out of it and into his sisters' arms.

"Yep... that was a trap and I fell for it." He grunted, rubbing the spot he was struck.

Vali released a slight breathe as she stood up straight, quickly catching a towelette that Rassei tossed her way without looking at it.

"Don't feel too bad, you were just too big in a hurry to retaliate after that last blow and it left you wide open. It could have gone either way had you not slipped there." She admitted.

"Really? Well, if you think so, then I guess it's not too big of a loss." Issei replied, scratching his cheek.

Homura handed each of them a bottle of water, which they both quickly downed.

"Alright, so who's next?" Dohnaseek questioned.

While the others began to figure out which two should battle next, Issei noticed Vali looking outside from the window. He walked to look with her, quickly noticing it the full moon in the sky, along with all the stars.

"It's a beautiful sky tonight." He remarked, smiling a bit.

"Reminds me of the one I was born on." Vali responded.

This caught Issei's attention.

"Was it really the same?" He asked.

"Yeah, sometime after the clock hit 7 pm. By that time, other Maou had already had their children, so my parents were essentially lucky 7 for that." Vali confirmed.

She closed her eyes, picturing the memory from the story her mom told her once.

* * *

_Lilith was seen at home, late into her third month of her pregnancy, which for Devils was the time where any moment could lead to the baby coming. As she sat on the couch, Choronzon was seen carrying a few dozen boxes in without issue, wearing a strap holding a three-month old Ruihi in it._

_"Just how much are you two buying for your kid? Especially one you decided not to learn the gender of?" She asked, looking at the boxes as she put them down._

_"Relax a little Choronzon, me and Lucifer just want to make sure our bundle of joy enters this world happy and healthy, with everything he or she needs once they finally-" Lilith answered._

_At that moment, her eyes suddenly widened as she held her stomach, screaming in pain. This immediately caught the attention of Satan's wife._

_"Uh... did the baby kick too hard?" She asked, her eye twitching nervously._

_"Don't even try that right now, you jerk! The baby is coming!" Lilith screamed._

_Choronzon paled at that._

_"Now pick up that phone, call my husband, tell him about this and then get me to the hospit-OW!" She demanded, feeling another pain shoot through her body at very moment._

_She immediately did so, dialing Lucifuge as she began sweating._

* * *

_Lucifer was seen in a meeting, speaking with Zeoticus, Lord Bael, and a few other current Heads as the other male members of the Maou waited for the current topic to finally stop and change to anything else._

_Actually, that was what everyone wanted because Lord Bael was being... well, Lord Bael, as he and Lucifer got into an argument._

_"Do you hear yourself right now? Last time you made that argument, you nearly caused the Naberius Clan's home to explode! Do you honestly think we'll let that fly again?" The Devil King screamed angrily._

_"You're the senile fool here! This is genuine progress and you're holding it back!" The Bael head screamed back._

_Mammon finally had enough, slamming his hands on the table._

_"Will someone get Zekram on the phone! I'm not waiting another second with the hope you'll end this argument soon!" He exclaimed._

_"Thank you!" Beelzebub praised._

_Zeoticus did just that, having his number due to his wife being a former member of the Clan._

_"Hello? Yes, this is Zeoticus... of course it's due to a meeting... oh that? Something about progress and-" He answered._

_Lucifuge noticed her phone get an alert, answering it._

_"Hold up... you actually banned the idea he's presenting? Good, that already decides everything." Zeoticus replied, soon hanging up._

_Everyone suddenly glared at Lord Bael._

_"All in favor of both vetoing this idea and prohibiting Lord Bael from offering anymore like it in future meetings?" Lucifer asked, still glaring at him._

_Lord Bael growled as everyone raised their hands._

_"Good, now for our next-" He continued._

_"Meeting's delayed for now!" Lucifuge suddenly exclaimed._

_This got everyone's attention._

_"Choronzon just called... Lilith's having the baby right now!" She revealed._

_"She's having our child right now!?" Lucifer exclaimed._

_Everyone else stood up in shock at the revelation, right as their Devil King rushed out of the room like a speeding bullet train._

_"Stop standing and follow him you idiots!" Satan shouted, rushing after him._

_The other Maou quickly followed, while Lucifuge called the other Maou who were at home with their own children._

_After that... it was just the heads who were left._

_"Uh... does anyone remember what he asked us to do to announce the baby was born?" Zeoticus asked._

_"Eh... no, not really." Lord Bael confessed._

_"We better figure it out then, or we're all going to be in trouble." Lord Agares Sitri realized._

* * *

_Choronzon was seen sweating as she had to focus on Lilith's heavy breathing, alongside her daughter's fussy sounds as she saw in the baby seat in the back of the car. Another scream was let out._

_"Get us to the damn hospital already!?" She demanded angrily._

_"I was sure we had gotten past the mood swing stage... apparently not." Choronzon whispered to herself._

_Lilith grabbed her shoulder, making her wince._

_"Whispering won't keep me from hearing you when I'm freaking right next to you!" The Devil Queen roared._

_Shaking a bit, she continued driving, wondering how these screams hadn't made her own baby start crying._

_'Yeah, totally not having another baby... for 10 years at least.' Choronzon decided._

* * *

_Lucifer soon made it to the hospital, panting a bit as he ran in place to find his wife, only to see the females among his fellow deadly sins, all with their children in hand. Mammon and Beelzebub's wives were even present with their own little tykes._

_"Huh, usually the mom is the first to arrive. You're way too early." Leviathan remarked, holding Ingvild while Tsufaame hung onto her back._

_"Seriously!?" The Devil King exclaimed._

_The nearby nurses at the counter shushed him, making him blush in embarrassment._

_"Smooth one King of the Devils, smooth one..." Belphegor remarked, a sleeping Roygun on her lap._

_Asmodeus giggled at that, having 10 little ones with her._

_"Hey, don't tease me right now. If there's anyone here that's as happy as he is nervous to be a father right now, it's me. After all, me and Lilith had to stay engaged for longer than either of us should have... that's one thing I have unlike our shared inability to have children for nearly 2000 years." Lucifer reminded them._

_They all went silent at that._

_"Right, sorry about throwing salt into the old wound..." Leviathan apologized._

_At that moment, Choronzon kicked the door open, right as Lucifuge helped Lilith into the hospital as the former held it._

_"I'm having a baby, help me right now!" She screamed._

_Hearing the cue of the Devil Queen's arrival, a doctor slid in with a wheelchair as if it was planned ahead._

_"Don't worry honey, it'll be alright." Lucifer reassured her._

_"Sorry for anything I say or do in advance." Lilith apologized._

_The Devil King chose to pretend he never heard that, while all of their fellow Maou and their children sat and waited where they were._

* * *

_Loud yells echoed across the hospital, with everyone sounding worried as they listened._

_"This is pathetic! I've fought a deity, helped form a whole species, survived a war and a world destroying monster, dealt with a civil war... and yet I'm struggling to have a freaking baby!?" Lilith screamed._

_"Just breathe sweetie, just try squeezing my ha-AND!" Lucifer reassured._

_Pain echoed out of the room as he felt his hand pinch, something he hadn't felt since he tried to beat Satan in arm wrestling._

_"No... regrets!" He gritted, knowing this pain had a reward._

_Hours passed by, with everyone shifting positions for food, bathroom, entertainment, and brief naps. It wasn't long before nightfall had arrived, specifically the early minutes of 7 pm._

_"The baby's almost out, just one more push!" The doctor's voice shouted._

_With that proclamation, everyone suddenly looked to their room's door._

_Lilith's screams were heard one last time, and it was so loud that everyone was pretty sure it was the final scream. A brief silence followed as everyone listened, and then..._

_*"CRYING!"*_

_Satan's eyes widened as he turned to the others, who gave the same reactions._

_"The baby's here!" Leviathan exclaimed._

_"She did it!" Belphegor cheered._

_"Knew she would, good job Lilith." Asmodeus sniffled, wiping a tear away._

_Walking out of the room, the doctor released a sigh of relief._

_"Tell us doctor, is the baby..." Mammon asked._

_"Let all of Hell know that today, our Devil Princess was born." The doctor confirmed, smiling brightly._

_Ruihi suddenly clapped at that, likely because of it being a girl._

_"Come on everyone, shouldn't we be meeting our new niece?" Beelzebub suggested._

_With that, they all entered the room._

_Inside, they saw Lilith holding a pink bundle, showing a silvery-white haired girl that looked like mini version of her father. The main difference they could see due to her eyes still being closed was she had her mother's pale skin._

_"Look everyone, it's my child... our child." The Devil Queen smiled, crying joyful tears without control._

_"And healthy as can be." Asmodeus smiled, looking at her._

_"There is one oddity we're trying to figure out. She released incredible magic right after she finally arrived, which is normal in itself, but... the readings say she's a Devil/Human hybrid despite her parents are purely Devils." The doctor mentioned._

_Hearing that surprised them all._

_"Wait a sec, isn't that what happened with Adam and Cassiel's daughter?" Beelzebub recalled._

_"Sounds like this might not be a coincidence." Lucifuge realized._

_Being handed his daughter by his wife, the Devil King looked at his still unnamed daughter and smiled, feeling the same joyful tears._

_"Who cares if she's purely Devil or not? She's my child... my..." He answered._

_Everyone looked as they saw Lucifer get more emotional than he usually did, right as the baby's crying stopped and she closed her mouth, slowly opening her eyes for the first time. It was then that everyone saw she had her mother's blue eyes._

_Looking at her father, the still unnamed baby gave a warm smile, making him sniffle a bit as his tears flowed out faster._

_"She's the miracle that proves everything we fought so hard for." He stated._

_His wife smiled at that, looking at him and their daughter._

_"Now I guess all that's left to ask is... what are you naming her?" Satan asked._

_Lucifer smiled at that, pulling out a slip of paper that left everyone confused._

_"There were many names Elohim had rejected when I offered them, but... there was one that I made yet never gave any meaning to. As of today, I now realize why I never could." He explained, looking at his daughter._

_It had been a word not meant for a place, a thing, or any living creature. It was a gift he unknowingly gave himself without even knowing it._

_"Welcome to the world... my Valiana." He greeted._

_At that moment, it was like the moon and the stars began to shine even brighter, welcoming the new Devil Princess to the world._

* * *

Vali opened her eyes as she finished telling the story, with Issei giving a warm smile.

"I think your father might have sounded a little sappy, but considering everything he and your mother went through? I guess he deserved to sound that way." He stated.

"True, but I'm still proud of the name he gave me... just like I'm proud of the nickname you made for me when we first met." She replied.

He chuckled at that, blushing a little as he looked to the side.

As Fubuki ran away from Homura's crazy sword being difficult again, Suzaku looked towards the two as she noticed this, smiling a bit.

'Hmm... the Red and White Dragon's hosts falling in love? That would be a first, but one that I'd definitely enjoy seeing it if happened.' She thought, wishing them luck.

Right at that moment, everyone saw Izanami appear in the area, pinching Murakumo to make it stop.

"Everyone, I need your attention for something." She stated, her face making her seriousness clear.

They all immediately listened as they lined up, with Issei and Vali quickly rushing over from the window. Seeing that everyone was now accounted for, the Shinto Goddess cleared her throat.

"We have a situation, and... due to circumstances tied to it, the strongest among us need to stay behind at Kyoto out of safety. As such, we need you to help us with the other half, and it's the real deal as Yuuma's group would understand it." She warned.

Yuuma's eyes widened at that.

"Is this about my sister?" She asked, nervously biting her nails.

"No, it's worse... although she is connected to it. The problem we face is that we just got confirmation that Yasaka was kidnapped on her way to Mount Meru." Izanami revealed.

Kunou's eyes widened at that, feeling her body shake in horror at the revelation.

"She was what!? How did that happen?" Vali asked.

"Unfortunately, we don't have any information, other than something silently took out everyone before getting to her. The signs even imply Yasaka didn't even have a chance to fight back." Izanami answered.

Yuuma raised an eye at that, wondering how her sister was involved when from her experience, she'd have gotten close to Yasaka instead of this silent sneak.

"Main point, we expect Yasaka will end up returning depending on what they plan, as they might want to use her connection to the Leylines for something. While the rest of us would be able to hold her off..." She continued.

"The problem there is we'd all be in danger. Unlike Libicocco, fighting Yasaka applies instincts and intelligence the Malebranche didn't have." Issei realized.

His grandmother nodded, soon holding out a device that showed a GPS location.

"Plus, we have this. The Tenguu who returned to alert us of what happened mentioned this was found in his hand. I think they want us to go there to spring a trap on us, so if we sent people they didn't expect?" She stated, smiling a bit at the end.

Dohnaseek got excited at that, shifting his fedora.

"I get it, mess up their operation. Even if they expect us... they likely have no idea about Vali's group." He realized.

"Bingo!" Izanami confirmed, making a circle shape with her other hand.

"Hopefully we don't meet the same fate when we try, but if my sister did have something to do with this? I have to stop her no matter how I have to do it." Yuuma said, forming her resolve.

Smiling at that, the Goddess of Spirits gave her the GPS.

"Now, go out there and hopefully save Yasaka in the process! I'll stay here with Kunou until then." Izanami smiled.

Hearing her name, her ears twitched a bit.

"We promise to not let you down. Now come on everyone, we have a Youkai Leader to save!" Vali promised, followed by a motivational cheer.

Other than Fubuki, everyone walked out of the room with a confident smile.

Smiling at their faith in each other, Izanami slowly turned towards Kunou.

"Alright, let's-"

Dotted lines marking where Kunou had been were all that were seen before the Goddess froze in place, feeling her eyes shrink and her upper face turn blue in horror.

"Oh crap!" She panicked.

* * *

In another area, the sight of a silhouette could be seen hiding in the darkness, right as an adult woman walked into view and got their attention. In her hands was a chain holding a hypnotized Yasaka.

"The Youkai Leader has been successfully captured, just as you wanted." She stated, grinning as she did.

"Good work Raynare. With this accomplished, the time has come for us to begin the next phase of my plans." The unknown figure stated, using magic to distort their voice.

Looking at the Fallen Angels, the enigmatic figure's eyes glowed briefly.

"Head to the designated area. I need time to fully implement the rest of my plans, and I'm certain they'll be there at any moment." They ordered, focusing their eyes slightly.

Nodding her head, a dark aura briefly covered Raynare's form before her eyes glowed as dark pools.

"Of course, it shall be done." She answered, her voice getting deeper for a brief moment.

Walking out of the room, the unknown figure's teeth could be seen as they gave a toothy smirk as they put a hand on Yasaka's forehead, making chains suddenly constrict her like strings on a puppet.

* * *

The two groups finally arrived, with the darkness of night making things a bit nervous for some of the group, especially the currently shivering Fubuki.

"I don't like it out here..." She whispered.

"We know, but there's too much risk for us to wait until morning to do this." Homura replied.

Holding out her hand, Vali motioned a ball of light around to help the group with look around.

"Any hear something besides silence?" She asked.

No on replied, but there was clearly something moving towards them, using the cover of darkness to give them the advantage before they jumped towards the Devil Princess.

 **('What's this?')**  Albion raised an eye, noticing a familiar aura.

"Hugs!"

Vali yelled a bit, making everyone turn as her orb of light revealed Kunou had piggybacked onto the Lucifer Heiress.

"Kunou?" She blinked, looking surprised.

"I'm not saying behind! I want to be the one that saves mother, so let me help you!" The Youkai Princess exclaimed.

Yuuma smiled a bit, shaking her head slightly.

"Honestly, why didn't we see this coming? Expecting you to stay like Izanami asked was pretty much guaranteeing you'd sneak off and join us." She remarked.

"We'll let you join us, but promise to stay close at the very least?" Issei requested.

She nodded her head.

"Understood, I'll remain besides you." Kunou promised.

It was then that Raynare shifted through the area, completely unseen by the group, but as prepared an attack...

 **("You there in the bushes! I can already sense your presence, so don't bother hiding!")**  Albion warned.

While initially surprised, the Fallen Angel quickly laughed.

"I knew someone was coming, but none of you were among the expected... not to mention one of them had a Sacred Gear with a being inside to sense my presence." Raynare praised, clapping her hands.

Yuuma's eyes widened as her older sister walked into view, giving a smug smile as she revealed herself.

"Big sis..." The Fallen Princess breathed, trembling a bit.

'She feels... off?' Fubuki thought, getting an odd feeling.

Kunou got off Vali's back, but stayed by the Devil Princess' legs due to what she promised Issei.

"Are you the one who kidnapped my mother!?" She demanded.

"Oh, so that was your mommy that I captured earlier? Looks like I'll be capturing a pair instead of just one." Raynare confirmed, smirking a bit.

"You're... you're awful!" Kunou cried.

Spinning herself around as she twirled her arms to create two light spears of a purple color, she gave a tooth grin.

"Now, let's... have... fun!" The Rouge Fallen exclaimed.

Yuuma and her group all created their own light weapons, while Suzaku's Holy Lightning began to crackle. This was followed by Fubuki and Kunou nearing Issei, right as Homura drew Murakumo and Vali summoned the Divine Dividing.

'That girl in front has a Sacred Gear, but considering that one Human girl hid behind that redheaded boy, she has a mere Half Effect they're using as a decoy. The dangerous one therefore must be her.' Raynare thought, focusing at the youngest Hyoudou.

She immediately rushed ahead with the surprising speed that took out Yasaka and her group, forcing Suzaku to swing her hand across the ground.

" **Holy Discharge!** "

Raynare jumped back and raised her hands to guard as the electric force exploded everyone, but intentionally missed to cause a smoke cover.

"We'll be in trouble if she can keep moving like that, so stay close as I deal with it now." Suzaku warned, taking out a piece of Origami paper.

Everyone nodded and closed themselves.

" ** _Holy Beast whose name is shared as mine, lend me your strength and blaze your vermillion flames against the enemy before me with the power you and I possess. Now awaken, Suzaku!_** " The Himejima Head chanted, her eyes glowing red.

The small bird of fire appeared before flying into Suzaku's body, causing her to transform into a giant bird resembling a mighty Phoenix.

She immediately flew across the area and set it ablaze without burning anyone. The only person who felt the heat in any form was Raynare, who had revealed her twelve wings to blow it away.

"How does this help us? Can't she just fly to get around this?" Issei questioned, looking confused.

"That's simple. Regardless of how she's able to move that fast, it's only on foot." Suzaku revealed.

Everyone looked at her as Raynare's eyes widened.

"How did you find out? I never left any kind of clues or evidence that should have let you figure that out!" She questioned, clearly surprised.

"It took simple observation to realize it. Had you flown to attack Yasaka's group, every time you stopped, your wings would have had to flap and risk giving away your position. Then we have how you were hiding in the bushes, rather than in the sky." The Himejima Head explained.

That left everyone to stare at her, amazed how she pieced that together.

"For you to realize that just by those two things alone? It seems I've underestimated you, but that also tells me not to hold back anymore." Raynare admitted, soon giving a dangerous smirk.

Jumping into the air, her twelve wings spread out before diving towards the group. The other Fallen Angels tossed their spears of light at her, which she all quickly dodged, only for Yuuma to jump ahead with her own light spear.

They immediately clashed in midair, causing sparks to form as their weapons struck one another.

"You need to stop this already! I don't know what's going on, but father still wants to believe in you! Don't make it so we have to kill you!" Yuuma screamed, a pleading tone in her voice.

"Seriously, just how naive can you be... little sis?" Raynare replied, raising a fist back.

Her arm shot forward, making Yuuma gasp as she reflexively moved as if to block a punch... only for Raynare to spin around and knee her in the gut. The younger sibling's eyes briefly lost their light as she released a silent gasp of pain.

"Just as I thought, you're completely naive!" She laughed, twirling her body a certain way.

As this motion was being down, Yuuma briefly raised an eye at how she did it, then immediately gasped as another kick sent her into the ground.

Her group rushed over, seeing she was barely conscious.

"You monster... I'll make you pay for that!" Mittelt screamed, charging at her with a lance of light in hand.

"Take this!" Kalawarner shouted, unleashing light spheres towards the Rogue Fallen.

Dohnaseek shouted as he formed two light swords and began a spinning slash, with Suzaku releasing an avian cry as she began a burning dive.

"Is that all you have!?" Raynare questioned, her aura starting to glow.

Crossing her arms, she screamed in a distorted manner as a powerful explosion went off, making Issei's group gasp as it neared them.

"Don't worry, I've got this!" Homura shouted.

Thrusting Murakumo forward, she and the immense light explosion were locked into a stalemate between its offense and her attempts to defend her friends and family. It didn't take long before the light looked like it was about to win.

"Please, don't fail me now! I beg of you!" She screamed, holding her blade tighter.

Murakumo heard her pleas, and it began to shake before its serrated edge began to spin like a chainsaw. After releasing a loud scream, the light was successfully canceled out, but Homura was sent flying into a nearby tree.

She released a silent gasp as it hit it, immediately blacking out as she hit the ground. Fubuki covered her mouth as she saw this.

"Don't worry, I've got this!" Suzaku promised.

Everyone watched as she was shown to still be able to move unlike the rest of her team, immediately charging at Raynare... only for a bunch of light spears to fly her way and hit every part of her Holy Beast form, sending her flying into the ground.

"How about you enjoy a long timeout?" Raynare smirked, throwing more spears at her.

Suzaku tried to curl up her body in an attempt to revert to normal, but the spears stabbed into the rest of her body, leaving her trapped in place.

"If only... I knew how to breathe fire by now!" She grunted, trying and failing to shake free of her bindings.

Fubuki panted more, fear overpowering any courage inside of her. This was when the Rogue Fallen charged towards the rest of Vali's group, forcing the Devil Princess to intercept her.

" **Light of the Morning Star!** "

Blasts of light shot out of her hand at sonic speed, forcing Raynare to guard as she was struck back slightly.

"Fubuki, use your magic, now!" Vali shouted, looking at her.

"U-uh... alright! I'll try to do, um... anything?" She panicked.

She formed a magic circle as she held her arms out, blowing a huge wave of magical power that flooded over Raynare, yet didn't do any damage. Everyone blinked at that.

"Why did nothing happen?" Issei asked, blinking a bit.

Kunou took a moment to think, but didn't come to any real answer since she used Chi instead of magic.

"I... I'm too afraid, so I couldn't think of the attack hurting her!" Fubuki realized.

Raynare immediately laughed after hearing that, realizing all the irony behind it.

"You really don't know how to fight, do you? Power is nothing if you can't properly wield it!" She exclaimed, charging more of hers.

" **Lightspeed!** "

Vali immediately rushed in to try and stop her, but it was too late as another explosion of light went off.

* * *

Back within Kyoto, the Youkai of the Youkai Realm were going about things as they normally did... until the ground began to shake like there was an earthquake. This caused everyone to focus near the entrance.

Having come back to help survey the world she created when Kunou had followed the others, Izanami was the first to sense a familiar power.

"Unfortunately, it seems that I was right." She sighed, knowing what was about to happen.

And right she was, as a huge magic circle opened up, revealing Yasaka covered in a blue glow and of energy and the same chains that were put on her. The shaky movement and pained sounds she made implying they were there to puppeteer her movements... provided she was even conscious right now.

Forming a magic circle, she put it near her ear as she connected to Izanagi.

"Hey sweetie? Let the others know that Yasaka's back, I'm about to open a path to the Youkai Realm." She warned.

〖"On it, we'll be there any minute now."〗 He replied.

Izanami immediately rushed ahead, with the weaker Youkai fleeing to safety as the stronger ones bought her time, though quickly fleeing as well when Yasaka's blue flames were released from her mouth and tails at an evens stronger level than normal.

Stepping into view, the Kyuubi's instincts immediately focused on her as a target/threat and she howled, unleashing another blast.

"Alright, let's hope I'm not too rusty here." She hoped, making a serious expression.

Throwing her arms out, she unleashed a powerful blaze matching that of Yasaka's, but was left in a stalemate. This quickly changed as her tails lifted themselves up and unleashed nine more blasts.

Immediately dispelling her own flames, she back flipped out of the way.

"Great... looks like those chains aren't just the strings moving her along." Izanami realized, knowing firsthand Yasaka didn't have such an ability.

Right as the nine-tailed fox prepared to fire another series of flames... only for normal flames and blue energy swords to strike her from the side.

Following those attacks, she was immediately struck by heated metal scraps raining down on her.

"Sorry for the delay!" A cheerful female voice exclaimed.

Looking behind her, a trio of people dropped into view. The first was a woman with long red hair that and moved like slow flames, pink eyes, and wearing casual clothing based on the sun that had white and gold being the main colors.

The second was a woman identical to the first, but with blue hair and light blue eyes, with her outfit being based on the moon and having black and silver as the main colors.

Finally, the last member was a man with black hair like Izanami's, wearing a Japanese sensei outfit with slate-colored armor on it. In his hand was the Japanese blade that was known to Humanity for killing him in one of many fabricated legends, the Totsuka-no-Tsurugi.

"Hey kids." Izanami smiled, looking at her remaining children.

"We'd have been here sooner, but I had trouble getting Amaterasu to wake up." Tsukuyomi apologized.

The Sun Goddess blushed at that.

"Don't feel bad, the fault belongs to whatever overcooked honcho thought of using Yasaka as a puppet for their own personal mayhem." Kagutsuchi remarked, holding out his sword.

Right at that moment, a thunder strike hit the giant Kyuubi and made her slide back a bit, which is when Susanoo walked through the magic circle.

"Strike!" He exclaimed.

Following him shortly after was Izanagi, Shinri, and Lucifer, with Eve staying behind to watch over Lilith.

"Hey Izanagi, remind me which one of us ended up being stronger after all the power we lost?" Lucifer asked.

"Never really checked, so why don't we find out?" He answered.

Raising up his hand, his eyes briefly flashed green as a bunch of plants suddenly grew at an accelerated rate, using their roots to bind Yasaka in place. The Kyuubi immediately roared before her body set ablaze.

While the vines burnt to a crisp, the Devil King appeared in front of her, holding up a silvery-white sphere with traces of black around it and a black light outlining it.

" **Ecliptic Flash!** "

Yasaka howled as her legs shook, feeling the overwhelming force of twilight energy push her to the ground.

" **Solar Flare!** "

" **Lunatic Craze!** "

A huge flame burst out of the ground like the attack's namesake, followed by energy blades that were shaped like the crescent moon that slashed past her. The latter attack knocked her to the ground with intense force.

" **Blacksmith's Forge!** "

Magic circles appeared, making blobs of liquid metal float above them. They immediately changed shape and solidified in the form of chains.

Yasaka struggled to get up, but the chains simply pulled themselves within the magic circles to tighten their hold on the Youkai Leader's form.

"She'll break free soon, hurry and break these chains before she does!" Kagutsuchi shouted.

Amaterasu led the charge and zoomed ahead like a comet, smashing one of the control chains, followed by Tsukuyomi tossing an illusionary spear into another. Susanoo roared as he shot down a third.

"Last three are ours!" Lucifer shouted, rushing ahead.

Right at that moment, the broken chains swirled around the remaining three before they started twisting together. This surged more power through Yasaka and she got up and broke Kagutsuchi's chains.

With a mighty roar, the Devil King was pushed back and then caught by the Grand Shinto duo.

"OK, new plan? We might need to knock her out... and fast." Lucifer suggested, sweating a bit.

Everyone readied themselves as Yasaka charged once more.

* * *

Raynare laughed at the damage her light was doing, only to suddenly stop as Vali unleashed a powerful scream, managing to push it back. This act caused her to slump on her knees tiredly.

'If I can't divide some of her power to recover my own soon, I might not last much longer.' She thought.

"Looks like you have a lot of power and a bit of experience, but you're just too young to beat me." Raynare chuckled, readying a light spear to strike her.

At that moment, a light dagger was thrown at her hand, making her wince a bit as it burned. The Rogue Fallen then turned around to see Yuuma threw it.

"Well, well... looks like my little sister's still willing to struggle." She smirked.

Barely staying on her feet, Yuuma just gave her a quiet stare in response.

"Oh? Cat got your tongue?" She wondered, still holding her mocking smirk.

"I'm not falling for that anymore... tell me who you really are, because you're not my sister!" Yuuma shouted, pointing at her.

Pausing for a it, Raynare laughed at the Fallen Princess.

"Did you get brain damage from my kick, or are you just that-" She replied, raising an eye in response.

"Said kick is why I know you're a fake! If you were my sister, you'd know she  _never_  uses kick attacks due to an accident she got into by practicing one!" Yuuma exclaimed, pointing at her.

Freezing for a moment as her eyes widened, a memory flashed through Yuuma's mind.

* * *

_Raynare laughed a bit as she rushed through a canyon, with Yuuma panicking a bit as she watched and followed her currently irresponsible sister._

_"B-big sis, we need to head back." She tried to shout, but failed._

_"Quiet you little runt, I know what I'm doing." Raynare replied, waving her hand in response._

_Yuuma lowered her head at that._

_Immediately following that, her big sister noticed a bridge between two parts of the canon, making her grin as she got an idea. This idea lead to her immediately rushed towards said bridge and start doing a few spin kicks across the air._

_"W-what are you doing!?" Her sister screamed._

_Looking at her sister, she pulled down her eyelid as her way of saying she'd be ignoring her._

_"Get off that bridge, it might not be stable!" Yuuma exclaimed._

_"Oh please, like this thing's going to break." Raynare laughed._

_Doing one last kick, she jumped up to start it and then followed up with a second in response... only to twist her leg and fall back. The bridge board she stood on collapse and she immediately spread out her wings._

_That ended up being the wrong choice when they got tangled by the ropes and caused them to snap, making them Yuuma gasp._

_"Raynare!" She screamed._

_It was a mere moment before her big sister smashed into the cliff wall, immediately blacking out before she began to fall._

* * *

_Yuuma brought her sister a glass of water, showing her in multiple casts as she shakily held it._

_"Never again..." Raynare whispered, panting slightly._

_"What do you mean?" Yuuma asked, helping her drink all the water._

_After taking it, she panted a bit._

_"I'll... never use... kicking attacks... ever again." She stated, shaking a bit as she teared up._

_For one of the rare times since they had gotten older, Raynare gave Yuuma strong hug._

* * *

As the memory ended, Raynare chuckled a bit as her eyes changed into glowing dark pools and her deeper voice returned... the eyes and voice of their real opponent.

"How embarrassing, it seems that I didn't study this girl's life enough before taking control." The possessor stated.

"You really did take control of my sister, who are you? Even more, how long have you been making her a puppet to use for your schemes!?" Yuuma demanded

Right as she asked that, the possessor wagged their hand.

"I'd be careful if I were you, because this girl is my hostage, meaning I could do something as make her lift up her skirt... or kill you." They smirked.

Then they forced Raynare's hand to grab her own throat, making her look panicked as she struggled to breathe for a moment, causing Yuuma to shake.

"Or have her end her own life." They chuckled, smirking at her reaction.

"W-what do you want?" Yuuma asked, now realizing just what kind of position the two groups were in.

"All of you. My master wants powerful beings like Yasaka to help him take over Kyoto." They answered.

Vali's eyes widened.

"That's why this trap was set up! This master of yours wanted to capture one of the Shinto Gods or our parents, use them how Izanami guessed Yasaka would be used for an attack!" She realized.

In response to the Devil Princess' guess, the possessor gave a loud laugh.

"Now, do yourselves a favor and come of your own volition. Do that and not only will I spare you... but anyone you care about, including the Youkai Leader." They demanded, holding out their hand.

Right as they did, another dotted line had marked Kunou wasn't where everyone had last seen her.

"Hold up, where'd the little brat-" They questioned.

That question was immediately answered by Kunou jumped onto her back, making her stumble.

" **Fox Fire!** "

Slamming a blue fireball into her back, everyone noticed Raynare's body freeze up as she smashed a vital point, locking her movements for a while.

"Quick, do it now! Force her out!" She shouted.

"Right!" Vali shouted, rushing ahead.

Charging at the immobile target as they struggled to move their possessed body, the Lucifer Heiress immediately placed their left hand on them.

**("DIVIDE!")**

The possessor gasped as they realized what her actual Sacred Gear was, right as their strength left them and transformed into blue energy that Vali's body absorbed. At the same time, Raynare's aura started to get unstable.

Yelling in response, Vali used some of her restored power strength to unleash a huge blast of light. Raynare screamed as the possessor's voice and hers overlapped, soon causing a humanoid shadow with an avian head.

"A shadow person that can actually possess someone?" Yuuma realized, her eyes wide in shock.

'He didn't realize what my Sacred Gear was? This thing's an idiot!' Vali thought, her eye twitching.

Issei blinked a bit.

"Uh... anyone mind telling me what this thing is?" He asked.

"A shadow person, the name says it all." Kunou answered.

Right as this was happening, the rest of the Fallen Angels began regaining consciousness, moving towards Suzaku as they helped free her Holy Beast form.

"They're a vermin race that thrives in darkness because their bodies can't manifest when there's light present, and most of the supernatural considers them better off destroyed. Though I'm not sure how this one gained the power to possess people." Mittelt further explained.

Despite looking weak, the Shadow Person immediately lifted his head as his eyes flashed, causing his power to flare out and make a pool of shadows that began to pull everyone inside of it.

"You should know to always watch you're back! Now I've got all of you, and since you refused my author, expect to join us with the knowledge that all of your families will pay the price with death for defying me and my master!" The shadow person exclaimed.

Kunou and Fubuki were the first two to sink under.

"Fubuki!" Issei screamed.

Homura and Raynare's unconscious forms were next, with Mittelt gasping as she was dragged under.

"Homura!" He screamed again.

Suzaku tried to unleash her flames, but failed as the others were slowly swallowed under, leaving the former to look at Issei before she was swallowed as well.

"Your fire Issei... don't let it burn out before it can ever light up." She reminded him, struggling a bit.

And that was when she was pulled under, leaving Issei to force his free right hand to grab Vali's left, though she was still being pulled under.

"Vali, don't let go!" He shouted.

"Find your strength Issei, show me... I know you can." She stated, entrusting her faith in him.

The shadows strengthened their pull and completely swallowed the Devil Princess in an instant.

"NO!" Issei screamed.

The shadow person laughed as his pull finally pulled Ddraig's wielder under, leaving his right hand as all that hadn't been swallowed into the shadows.

"Sink into the darkness, sink into it for all of eternity!" He exclaimed.

'This can't be it... no, it isn't! It won't be!' He thought, clasping his fist.

Manifesting at that moment, the Boosted Gear appeared on his hand, starting to flash a bit as Issei's hand stopped sinking. This confused the shadow person greatly.

"Huh? Hey, get under the shadows already!" He screamed, making the shadows strengthen their pull.

Unfortunately, it didn't do anything as his hand stayed in place, and a powerful scream could be heard. His voice continued to get louder as the entire land shook like the aftershock of an earthquake.

**「** **Date A Live III: I swear** **」**

A powerful pillar of fire shot up into the sky, creating a powerful light that made the shadow person's eyes widen as he jumped back, fearing the sudden energy. Those reasons would quickly justify themselves as Ddraig's silhouette manifested into view, releasing a loud roar.

"T-the Red Dragon Emperor and the White Dragon Emperor in the same area? That's not possible! It can't be!" They exclaimed, staring at the Red Dragon's form.

Suddenly, the pool of shadow exploded as Issei rose from it, being surrounded by swirling flames. With his escape, the others quickly rose up from the remains as they gasped for air, with now only Raynare still unconscious as Homura finally woke up shook her head... just in time to see her big brother's current state.

"I-Issei!?" His younger sister exclaimed.

"What's happening to him?" Fubuki asked.

Kunou gasped as she noticed the power he was emitting, realizing what it was without any doubts.

"Incredible, I've never seen that much chi from any Human in my life! Such power!" She exclaimed.

Suzaku looked at him before smiling.

"You think this will change anything!? Just because you awakened such a power doesn't mean you'll suddenly be able to beat me with it!" The shadow person exclaimed, opening his mouth.

A stream of magical energy was fired out of his maw, aiming itself at Issei's motionless form with incredible speed.

**["BOOST!"]**

At that moment, he moved his arm towards the attack.

**["BOOST!"]**

Then simply grabbed it with his fist, crushing it until it burst into nothing, leaving everyone to gasp at the sight. Especially the shadow person that cast it in the first place.

"With just his bare hands!?" He screamed.

"Listen up, because hopefully your master heeds the last words you'll ever hear." Issei replied, his eyes still closed.

**["BOOST!"]**

Everyone focused on Issei at that moment.

"I don't care who you are, what you are, or where you come from... just know someone like you who'd hurt others for reasons as small as selfishness or as justified as losing everything to one person and doing the same things as them? I'd never aid you in any way, not even to save me life or the people who care for me, because I know they'd never accept the lives of many being threatened to save their own." He stated quietly.

Homura and Fubuki showed brief surprise before they smiled at their older brother's words.

**["BOOST!"]**

"Lucifer told me everything he fought for, and he did it with his own two hands! There were no sacrifices of others, just everything he once knew, and he had no regrets because he believed in doing what he knew was right!" Issei continued, tightening his left hand.

"Are you a fool!? Power is power, that's all that matters!" The shadow person countered, his eyes shaking in rage.

**["BOOST!"]**

Ddraig's silhouette laughed at that.

 **["Is that really all you think!? It's quite obvious you're just a mere frog in the well!"]**  He mocked, smirking slightly.

The shadow person's eyes widened at that.

"Someone I know has a dream that's beyond anything you could ever understand, and that's a dream that I want to help make happen! In case you ask, the person who has this dream? A dream to build a bridge reconnected the divided worlds of Humanity and the supernatural?" Issei stated, holding up his right hand.

**["BOOST!"]**

At that moment, his eyes flashed open to reveal the same glowing pupils with a swirling effect that Vali had when her Sacred Gear first activated, only in a light green color due to him having green eyes.

The eyes that manifested to anyone with a Sacred Gear in an active stated.

"She's my best friend and the person I believe in more than anyone, Vali!" He stated, finally setting his resolve.

Hearing her name, the Devil Princess blushed a bit.

"Foolish child, you know nothing! Now... begone!" The shadow person.

" **Nightmare Curtain!** "

A storm of darkness began to swarm across the area, pushing everyone away as it swallowed Issei inside.

"Big brother!" Fubuki and Homura screamed.

"Here we go Ddraig, time to light our fires together!" Issei exclaimed, showing a toothy grin.

**["TRANSFER!"]**

Focusing all the power of his Boosts into one spot, he reeled back his fist as a ball of flame formed in said area, leading him to swing it forward for a mighty swing.

" **Meteor Shot!** "

The sphere of flame flew forward, immediately beginning to expand and devouring the flames as the Shadow Person's eyes widened at the attack that had turned into a... a small sun!

"No, this fire... it's too great! I can't... I can't... I can't!" He panicked, feeling the heat wash over him.

And with those final words, the makeshift sun slammed into his body, starting to burn the Shadow Person like actual sunlight before the attack launched itself off the ground and headed towards Kyoto, but immediately warped out of view.

* * *

Everyone panted as Yasaka kept up the fight, with Shinri immediately motioning his hands to create a Youjutsu field as a way to restrict Yasaka, only for her to shatter it with a mighty roar.

"Hey mom, you could try that and make it work because you're better at it than me... right?" He asked.

"Afraid not, Yasaka's too strong with those remaining chains feeding her strength." Izanami replied, sweating as she struggled to think of a new plan.

Right at that moment, Amaterasu blinked as she looked up a bit.

"Something's coming our way!" She warned, pointing at the sky.

Everyone followed her finger, right as they saw Issei's attack and the Shadow Person that was still being hit by it appear in the Youkai Realm, smashing into Yasaka's remaining chains with enough force to freeze all but the Youkai Leader's tails in place.

"What the heck is that!?" Tsukuyomi questioned.

"Hold on, that fire... it's Ddraig's!" Lucifer realized.

Shinri's eyes widened at that, realizing that could only mean one thing... something that made him smile.

"Issei, you crazy idiot!" He smirked, releasing a small chuckle.

He rushed ahead, coating his body with Touki as he used this opportunity to make it to the chains, with only Yasaka's tails getting in his way.

"This is our chance, keep those tails off of him!" Izanagi ordered.

"Right!" Everyone shouted in reply.

Shinri continued his charge as some of the tail flames shot at him, though Lucifer jumped in first and used his wings as a cover, followed by Amaterasu redirecting the flames with some of her own.

Once the first wave was fired, Izanagi and Izanami held their hands out, creating a wall of Chi that took the next three blasts.

"Almost there!" Kagutsuchi shouted.

The sixth blast was then intercepted by magma geyser that erupted from the ground that Shinri ran around, with Susanoo screaming as his lightning clashed with the seventh... though that left another two to near him, this time without any way to dodge them.

"No, he isn't going to make it!" Lucifer realized.

Amino shouted as she charged into view, assuming her own Holy Beast form that was half her mother's size, and blasting out flames to take down the eight shot. That only left the ninth, with Shinri sweating as he hoped to be able to evade it.

Luckily, that ceased to be an issue when a magic circle appeared, showing none other than Eve as she held the blast back with a magic circle as her shield.

"Sweetie!" Shinri cheered, turning around to look at her.

"I've got this, just finish it up!" She replied, smiling at him.

Nodding his head, he lunged into the air and then dashed towards the chains, giving a loud shout before striking the side opposite to his son's Meteor Shot attack... finally making the remaining chains break.

"Master, I have... failed you!" The shadow person screamed, finally feeling the flames consume him.

A huge explosion went off as Yasaka fell to the side, her normal color returning as he body was freed from the chain's control, though currently unconscious.

* * *

Issei panted a bit as he finally collapsed onto his knees, his eyes reverting to normal. Looking at everyone staring at him... he flashed them a light toothy grin, giving a thumb's up for added measure.

**「** **Insert Song End** **」**

With that, all of them cheered before his sisters and Vali tackled him in a group hug.

"You did it, you really did it! You won!" Fubuki exclaimed, crying as she nuzzled her head into her brother's chest out of sheer joy.

"That's our big brother!" Homura smirked, slapping his back.

He winced from it, but simply grit his teeth to bear it out of respect for his sisters' moments of joy.

"I knew you had the strength in you, and now just like me, you've finally found it." Vali sniffled.

While no one was watching, Issei's right hand had a green glow on it.

 **[Albion, it's been a while since that day, hasn't it?]**  Ddraig recalled.

Vali's left hand gave off its blue glow.

 **(It has. Both of our hosts have grown much since then, and I'd like to believe now... they'll have what it takes. Do you?)**  Albion responded.

 **[Yes, it's clear that Shekhinah's faith in them has been rewarded. However, the question is can they truly lead the way for the remaining Longinus wielders to gather together, before it's too late for this world?]**  He answered, admitting his slight worry.

The White Dragoness went silent for a moment, closing her eyes.

 **(Neither of us can know that for sure, nor can everyone else... though they have earned the right to try.)**  She answered.

Smirking at his mate's words, he nodded his head before both glows vanished.

"Wait... Raynare?" Yuuma realized, looking for her sister.

Eventually, she spotted her sister's unconscious form on the ground, making her rush over as she picked her up.

"Come on, wake up!" She begged, trying to shake her awake.

"Yuuma, that won't help. Let's bring her to Issei's mother to try and get her help." Vali interjected, putting a hand on her shoulder.

Still looking a bit worried, the daughter of Azazel slowly nodded her head.

* * *

Finally getting back to Kyoto, the sight of Lilith got everyone's attention, making her daughter hold out her arm to stop everyone.

"Mom, what is it?" She asked.

"Oh, thank goodness you're all safe. No time to explain though. We need to get to the Youkai Realm, as Eve left me when she realized she needed to be there to help end the fight at that moment... though the others haven't returned." The Devil Queen explained.

Going quiet, she looked at Kunou.

"I'm worried that while they rescued your mom, something might be wrong." Lilith stated.

The young Kyuubi gasped at that, shaking a bit.

"We need my mom to heal Raynare anyways, lead us to the Youkai Realm." Issei begged.

Nodding her head, everyone followed Lilith through the specific Torii gate with great haste.

Upon arriving, they saw the Youkai gathering to rebuild, with a few around their parents and the Shinto Gods as they tried to help Yasaka wake up.

"Mother!" Kunou shouted, rushing to her.

Hearing her sister's voice, Amino went silent as she could only watch her shake their mother awake in vain.

"Issei, we saw a giant fireball come our way earlier. That was one of your attacks, wasn't it?" Shinri asked.

Everyone looked at Ddraig's host with surprised expressions.

"Wait, wait, wait... I sent my Meteor Shot into the Youkai Realm without even trying to!?" He exclaimed, holding his head as his mind overloaded.

'He doesn't even know how he did it?' Eve and Shinri thought, just as confused.

The former soon noticed Yuuma carrying Raynare, getting the first Human's attention.

"Please, can you help her?" She sniffled, her eyes having begging tears in them.

Eve nodded her head, placing a hand on the older Fallen's body as her healing glow activated, making Raynare release a brief gasp before her lack of action was instead replaced with a weak sleeping sound.

"It will take a while before she wakes up, but it sounds like she'll be alright." She smiled, rubbing Yuuma's head.

"What about Yasaka, did your healing not work on her?" Fubuki asked, looking worried.

Eve went silent at that, looking at her while everyone heard Kunou's cries continue, still desperately trying to get her mother to wake up in some manner.

"Please mom, I beg of you... wake up!" She cried, nearly on her knees at this point.

Shaking her head, the Hyoudou Siblings all gasped as they realized their mom's healing just wasn't enough in this circumstance.

"If we had the Sephiroth Graal here, maybe we could help her, but I'm just not able to generate enough power." Eve confessed.

 **["Oh, so I'm not good enough to help you out here?"]**  Ddraig joked, chuckling a bit.

Everyone looked as they saw the green glow on Issei's right hand, making him hold it up.

"Ddraig? Are you saying that your power might be able to help?" He asked.

 **["If you boost enough of your power and then transfer it to your mother, her healing might be enough to work. Though I'll need to help in another way to let Kunou's voice reach her."]**  The Red Dragon confirmed.

Hearing this, Issei's eyes widened before nodding his head, focusing his power to channel some boosts.

**["BOOST!"]**

Amino walked by Kunou's side, kneeling by her.

"I think Ddraig's saying your voice might be able to wake her if you speak deep in her heart. You're clearly the one suffering more, so let her hear that, remind her she has to wake up." She encouraged her.

"O-OK... I'll try." Kunou sniffled.

After charging enough boosts, Issei placed his hand towards his mother.

**["TRANSFER!"]**

Eve gasped as she felt the energy flow through her, making her briefly shiver before placing her hands on Yasaka again.

"Please work..." She begged, closing her eyes.

This time, her healing aura surrounded the whole area in a colorful glow.

 **["Alright, now put the Boosted Gear on her body with Kunou's hand on top of it. This will let me send her words deep into Yasaka's consciousness."]**  Ddraig advised.

"OK, that totally doesn't sound disturbing in any manner..." Issei remarked sarcastically, shivering a bit.

Putting his hand on Yasaka, a green glow emitted from his Longinus as Kunou put her hands on top of his.

"Mother? It's me, Kunou... please wake up! I'll never ask anything of you again, I promise! All I want... all I want is for you to come back to us!" She begged.

Izanagi noticed her eyes twitching a little.

"Keep going, she's reacting!" He shouted.

"I miss you so much, and I'll do anything if you just wake up! Please... please come back." Kunou begged, crying a bit.

At that moment, a gasp was heard as Yasaka's eyes widened, making a blue light form as everyone watched her change back into her Human appearance, holding her head as they smiled.

"We did it!" Issei cheered.

"Mother!"" Kunou cried.

Yasaka immediately felt her youngest daughter hug her, soon joined by amino.

"It's alright, mother's here now." She reassured them.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Lucifer and Lilith wrapped an arm around the other's shoulder, while everyone let out a sigh of relief.

For right now, despite there was still more to the entire attack and this unknown master who lead it, the worst was finally over.

* * *

**Congratulations Issei, you've finally unlocked Ddraig's power while also freeing Raynare from her possession! Unfortunately, despite this victory and the leaders' success in rescuing Yasaka, the Kyoto arc is nowhere near over because now... the question is who is this mysterious master the Shadow Person worked under? Even more, just what will they use to attack the Shinto Pantheon when try for a Round 2?**

**This chapter may have felt a little fast paced to some of you, but that's because I had intended for it to be two parts. The battles ended up being shorter than I expected because had I prolonged any of them, it would seem like each of the heroes' sides were fighting against opponents they'd need some kind of miracle to beat. Not to mention, it seemed easier for the shadow person to be like canon Raynare, missing vital info until it's too late for them.**

**Anyways, since this chapter had a flashback to the day of Vali's birth, and the previous one revealed what I needed to unveil to list what Issei's? I can finally tell you what they are and the meanings behind them! Vali was born during the night of July 20th, and Issei the morning of July 24th, but for why this is important? Issei's zodiac is Leo, which is tied to the sun, like the Alchemic lion.**

**Vali has less to do with her element, but rather her lunar astrological sign being the same as her solar astrological sign: Cancer, which is tied to the moon. The moon's light depends on the sun, while also fitting how Vali's a Devil, but mainly uses light due to her heritage. Not to mention the moon and sun are opposites yet a pair, so that's another theme between our duo, especially due to the genders tied with each celestial body.**

**Until next time everyone, and stay awesome! ^^**


	12. Chapter 12

**Last chapter sure was a big one, two major battles and Issei unlocking his powers, along with the revelation of someone that wants to make Kyoto theirs for some unknown reason. Whoever or whatever this master is, they had the means to not puppeteer someone as powerful as Yasaka, but may have given a mere Shadow Person the ability to possess Raynare's body.**

**Anyways, this chapter serves as a small breather, because... it's the next backstory arc! This one's a bit different since where the previous was an intermission between the first arc and the Kyoto arc, this one is part of the latter. Also, it's much smaller than the Lucifer arc, being only two chapters long due to the smaller content. Despite that, it's just as important because it will help set up the final backstory.**

**Initially, the second of the three backstories was planned to be shown when the Kyoto arc was about 75% finished, but I ended up changed my mind near the Lucifer arc's end due to wanting to help give a better showing of the Shinto Quartet, which I noticed weren't getting as much of a focus as their parents were. Not to mention, I realized this timing was best due to a few spoiler reasons.**

**With all of that said, it's time for the second backstory of this journey to be shared!**

* * *

**()**  - Albion Talking via the Divine Dividing

 **[]**  - Ddraig Talking via the Boosted Gear

 **«»**  - Consciousness of any other Sacred Gear Talking

 **〖〗**  - Voice Speaking through a Magic Circle

 **【】**  - Voice made by an Announcement or through an Announcer

 **「」**  - Insert Song Beginning or Ending

『』 - Electrical Voice or Machine Speaking

* * *

**_Chapter 12 - Life and Death_ **

Listening to the story his daughter told him, Lucifer tapped his foot a few times.

"So, the Shadow Person we saw in Issei's attack was possessing Raynare all along? Just how does one have that power with how weak those vermin are?" He questioned.

"I'm not sure." Vali replied.

Crossing his arms, the Devil King furrowed his brow in thought, realizing this meant a lot of possibilities... none of them being good.

"Yasaka says that the only thing she can remember was a searing pain after blacking out. I worry Raynare's information will be just as lacking if she even bothers to talk to us." He sighed.

The Devil Princess tilted her head at that, wondering what her father meant by that.

"She's been particularly... difficult for a long time. It's hard to really say how long that thing possessed her, especially if the process was gradual. Nothing says this experience will men she's changed that much if it took Yuuma seeing her kicking as evidence to her being controlled." Lucifer explained, sighing as he did.

"Oh... kind of like how Lord Bael was always the stubborn one." Vali realized, giving a flat look in response.

Lucifer gave the same look, nodding his head as they just stood and kept their positions for a few minutes.

*"BLEH!"*

Both of them immediately stopped as they turned their heads, hearing a flushing sound as Lilith weakly walk towards them, her face looking a bit green.

"The mood swings were just... replaced with morning sickness." She mentioned.

"Good, I prefer hearing that over fearing what emotion you'll hit me with." Lucifer said, letting out a relieved sigh.

At that moment, Lilith's cheeks puffed again as she rushed back to the bathroom, with Vali and her husband staring.

"Uh... how about you go let the others know while I'll help mom?" She suggested.

"Yeah, that's a good call." He replied.

The Devil King walked one way as he tried remembering what helped motion sickness from his wife's last pregnancy, leaving Vali to go into the bathroom and help her mom.

* * *

Eve was currently using magic to clean some laundry as her children sat by her.

"You really managed to stop one of Yasaka's attacks?" Homura asked in disbelief.

"That I did. Despite my looks and tendency to be soft and spoiling with how I raise you, just like Gabriel, weak is the one thing I'm not." She giggled.

She immediately rose her hands up and slapped her cheeks, trying to register what she heard.

"If we might ask, how strong are you using someone as a comparison?" Fubuki asked, raising one of her hands in the air.

Eve giggled at her youngest's habit of doing so.

"Well... aside from telling you I'm one of the strongest Humans in the world? I'm not sure how to give you a definite answer, since Humans have a slight disadvantage compared to most races." She replied, being completely honest.

"Huh?" Her children wondered, tilting their heads.

"See, while a rare few exceptions do pop up at times, most Humans lack the luxury of surviving something most supernatural species can handle. Most exceptions are those that were either born with a strong body, or just got the right Sacred Gear for it." Eve clarified.

After listening to that, Homura paled as she realized why the light explosion managed to strike her like it did, whereas everyone else (sans her siblings that never got hit) didn't suffer that same problem.

"Yeah, that wasn't one of my better ideas..." She realized, chuckling a little.

Eve just blinked at her daughter's reaction before continuing her explanation.

"That doesn't mean Humans are incredibly weaker than everyone else. A good example is one of the people allied with Heaven, the True Longinus wielder to be specific, as Gabriel told me once he fights on the principle that he mustn't ever let himself be hit. This same boy that's only your age? He's all but guaranteed to join me on the list of Strongest Humans one day." The First Human revealed, smiling as she said it.

"Whoa, so that means... " Issei realized.

His mother nodded her head, rubbing his as he gave a slight blush in response... although his sisters clearly noticed he was smiling.

"Yep, and in the True Longinus wielder's case? He lacks magic potential like Homura does." Eve confirmed, adding another detail.

The middle child of the Hyoudou Siblings gasped at that.

'If that's true, it means I could be just like the True Longinus wielder one day!' She thought, her eyes sparkling.

"Do you know of anyone that fits under those exceptions you mentioned?" Fubuki asked, raising her hand again.

Eve nodded her head.

"I do... or I guess did might be more accurate since he's not Human anymore, but he still held the position until a few years ago. His name is Vasco Strada, the former Durandal wielder and one of Elohim's Brave Saints, which is the Angel equivalent to the Evil Piece system." She revealed.

Taking a moment to register that, Issei gasped.

"Of course, that's what Touji meant when he said he's not an Angel in the same sense as Gabriel!" He realized.

"Yep, and remember how Yuuma's friends are linked to the Ace of each card suit? That's because she gave them Fell Saint cards, as the Angels and Fallen use the same system, not unlike how Demons use an equivalent to Evil Pieces because of their similarities." Eve confirmed.

"But if they use similar technology, why are only Devils able to really use theirs? Shouldn't Demons have it too?" Homura questioned.

The First Human woman shook her head.

"Devils make the Evil Pieces with a crystal they can actually grow with little effort. Due to this, they're able to mass produce Evil Pieces because there's an amply power source for them to access, but the others... not so much. They have to rely on crystals they're given by the Devil and then convert the energy with their own, leaving their leaders as the only ones with any." She explained.

"While a few others get a lesser set like Yuuma, which still requires having a certain position or heritage as a condition for receiving them?" Issei guessed.

Eve nodded her head.

"And I'm pretty sure those limited versions are only able to give a general boost for now, likely lacking the guarantee of making the one who receives one turn into their respective species. I'm guessing that's why she may have given them to those who were already Fallen Angels on some level." She mentioned.

The Hyoudou Siblings all winced at that, realizing the Devils were the lucky ones right now.

*"KNOCK! KNOCK!"*

Looking behind them, mother and children all saw Izanami by the door.

"Raynare's waking up, and I think we all need to hear what she might be able to tell us. Things aren't exactly in the clear right now." She alerted them.

"OK, we're coming." Eve replied.

* * *

Feeling her consciousness return to her, the older daughter of Azazel and Penemue slowly opened her eyes, making her hold her forehead at the horrible migraine that the Shadow Person's possession of her was unfortunate enough to leave.

As she struggled to look around, noticing where she was and where she remembered she had last been weren't the same... she felt something slide on her.

"Hmm?" She blinked, looking down.

It was Yuuma, currently sleeping as tear stains could be seen on her face, implying they were what eventually knocked her out.

"Wait, why's my sister here... and why even come see me?" Raynare asked, knowing well how she's treated her in the last few years.

"Mu..." The younger Fallen groaned, feeling her eyes tighten briefly.

At that moment, they opened up and she rubbed them, which is when she noticed her conscious sister looking at her.

"You're awake!" Yuuma exclaimed.

Raynare was immediately surprised by a tight hug, making her eyes widen in disbelief.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry! Thank goodness you're alright!" She cried, crying once again.

"W-what's going on?" Raynare asked, completely lost now.

Briefly letting go, the two sisters sat for a while as Izanami gathered the others, the younger sibling explaining everything to her big sister's gradually growing shock.

"Possession? This is... but based on what you're saying, it couldn't have been until a year after I fell into the canyon." Raynare realized, knowing that was 5 years of her life stolen from her.

Yuuma's eyes widened at that, remembering the black eye she once got.

"Since I was 5? Oh man, so that's why you suddenly had a worsening personality father worried about... thank goodness." She sighed in relief.

"About that, it wasn't completely the possession's fault..." Raynare confessed.

The younger sister turned her head at that, looking confused and a bit worried.

"Ever since you could start talking and know what was going on, I've been... jealous of you. I got dad's mind, but you got his strength, not to mention our mother's bravery. I kept trying to one-up you just to feel better about myself, and acted like anything a sister should." She admitted, lowering her head.

"W-what do you mean courage? I've always been the coward between the two of us..." Yuuma replied, waving her hands in disbelief.

"Cowardice isn't the same as fear, but that's also why you were braver. My own recklessness nearly killed me... and yet I survived because of your actions." Raynare disagreed, reminding her of that day.

And the moment she said that, Yuuma gasped as she recalled what happened after the bridge broke.

* * *

_Seeing her sister fall to the ground without anything to stop her, it seemed the first daughter of Azazel and Penemue's end would come from sheer stupidity that was her own undoing._

_However, this sight is what made Yuuma's timid nature hide for a moment as she took a deep breath, unfolding her wings as she looked over the edge._

_"I'm coming sis!" She screamed, jumping down._

_Completely ignoring how she hadn't been taught to fly yet, she dived down to her sister and caught her, forcing her wings to flap as she tried to take flight. Just as they neared the ground... Yuuma managed to soar!_

_Flying through the air, the younger sister suddenly began to laugh happily, realizing she managed to fly on her own. The joy was so great, she didn't see her sister briefly opening her eyes to see the achievement for a few seconds._

* * *

Despite she was more afraid than she had ever been at that day... Yuuma had been the one crazy enough to dive after her, even though it could have ended with both of them dying that day.

"You were brave because despite that fear, you managed to overcome it for that brief moment. I was never able to let go of that. However, now that all of this has happened... I think it's clear you surpassed me long ago." Raynare admitted, closing her eyes.

"Big sis..." Yuuma whispered, starting to tear up.

"I should have actually been a big sister to you, but I wasn't. How far you've come despite the adversity I gave you makes this clear." She continued.

Right at that moment, she felt her sister hug her again, making her eyes widen a bit.

"All this time, I believed in you... believed that things would go back... and I was right. I was right!" Yuuma cried, sniffling every few words.

"Look at that, guess you are still a bit of a crybaby." Raynare teased.

"Hey!" She exclaimed, puffing her cheeks at that.

It was at that moment when Yuuma's teammates walked by the door, causing Raynare to freeze a bit.

"Uh... this isn't what you think it is?" She replied, sweating a bit.

"Yeah, right." They all said in unison.

She immediately hung her head down, her face shadowed by pure embarrassment.

* * *

Everyone soon gathered into the room, with Vali and Lilith being the last to arrive.

"Uh... I may regret asking this, but just what are those?" Homura asked, her eye twitching as she pointed to the objects in question.

It was four vials of some black... stuff inside them.

"No idea, found them all while my mom was dealing with her morning sickness." Vali replied.

"They seemed familiar to me, but I couldn't tell why, so I asked her to bottle them." Lilith added, still looking a bit green.

Lucifer hummed as he looked at them.

"She's right, these seem familiar to me as well. Though for why they are? That's what I can't remember, yet seems to be at the tip of my tongue." He remarked, scratching his head.

Izanagi coughed, getting everyone's attention.

"Pushing aside whatever that black slime or whatever you call it happens to be? I think Raynare has at least some level of info to share?" He reminded.

"Oh, right." Lucifer chuckled in embarrassment.

Raynare took a deep breath, collecting the thoughts she had prepared in advance.

"I'm not sure of who you're dealing with or what they want, but... I do think there's one thing I've been able to figure out about why I was possessed." She assumed.

"What would that be?" Tsukuyomi asked.

"Because... the Shadow Person realized I had a Trihexa fragment inside of me." Raynare revealed.

The adults all gasped at that.

"You mean that monster from the Great War you all killed? Don't tell me it's trying to revive itself!" Fubuki mentioned, shivering a bit.

"No need to worry there, it'd be impossible for that beast to come back." Shinri reassured her.

"A-are you sure?" She questioned.

"Both your father and I can verify that, as would all of the Gods here. When that creature was finally slain, 90% of its power was forever erased, the Trihexa fragments are just the scattered remains of the remaining 10% that weren't annihilated with the rest. Even then, all the energies that destroyed it changed them too much to ever reunite." Eve confirmed.

Fubuki's eyes widened at that, wondering just what kind of power guaranteed Trihexa's true end?

"Still, the fragments are basically an annoying mess we're all forced to deal with. The Shadow People are only one such thing that remnant power left behind." Izanami further explained.

'And that explains why everyone would prefer to annihilate them.' Issei realized.

With that done, Raynare resumed her explanation.

"It was likely feeding off it before giving it to whatever master they work for, so I'm betting that if they didn't empower the Shadow Person themselves? It simply juiced itself with that fragment." She continued

"Hmm... which means a second attack could happen at any moment." Amaterasu realized, scowling a little.

Lucifer groaned, shaking his head.

"And with how he used Yasaka against us, it doesn't seem like we can just go after him again." He realized.

"I know you hate it Lucifer, but it does seem like we may have to involve the children with dealing with this as we keep Kyoto safe from another direct onslaught that may or may not be worse than this first one was." Kagutsuchi replied.

This made said kids sweat a bit.

 **("Not to worry there, I'm pretty sure that master doesn't know me and Ddraig's hosts are here. We can use that to our advantage.")**  Albion mentioned.

"Huh? What do you... oh, you mean  _that_ , right?" Lucifer quickly realized.

Issei and Vali both looked at each other, wondering what the latter's father was referring to, other than it had to be an ability tied to each of their Longinus.

"Speaking of the kids... can all of Eve's and Vali follow me?" Izanami requested, moving her hand towards herself.

The confusion in the Heavenly Dragons' hosts soon was shared by Homura and Fubuki, but all four of them followed the Shinto Goddess as they went into another room.

"Looks like she's going to share that story early as a reward for Issei's attack saving the day." Lilith realized.

"Most likely." Eve nodded, having similar thoughts.

Getting on her feet, Raynare nearly stumbled before catching herself and standing straight.

"Well, I better head back home. This whole thing has made me realize that I should focus on what I'm actually good at. Although, if you need any more help..." She decided.

"Think you can tell dad if he can send anyone from the Nephilim group, or at least Shooting Star?" Yuuma asked.

Raynare blinked at that name, tilting her head.

"Oh right, you don't remember the last few years..." She recalled, blushing a little.

"She's talking about the one Longinus user that's allied to us." Suzaku clarified.

Raynare's eyes widened.

"Whoa... alright, guess I'll see what I can do." She replied.

Turning into a black cross of light, she floated into the sky.

* * *

Sitting within another room, Izanami briefly had a sip of green tea as she looked at the four before her.

"I said that you'd need to train a bit before you heard this story, but... given what happened and what's likely coming? I think my conditions for that can change." She stated.

"You mean we're going to hear it now?" Homura asked.

The Shinto Goddess of Spirits nodded her head, passing out some green tea to the four of them before she sat herself back down.

"Prepare yourselves, because not only is this the true version of my story... it's the tale of how Earth itself came to be." She warned.

* * *

**~ Unknown Area: Billions of Years Ago**

In what seemed to be nothing more than an endless mixture of blue shades, with various twinkles like stars present, the sounds of loud screaming could be heard from Izanami as she struggled to give birth to Kagutsuchi... which seemed to be making her entire body steam up.

"Honey? What's wrong!?" He panicked.

"My body... it feels like it's on fire! Please, make the pain stop!" She begged, her voice full of pain.

Swinging his arms around without any ideas of what to do, he eventually contacted Elohim for help.

"HELP!" The Shinto God yelled.

〖"Ah! What's going on, and why are you screaming?"〗 Elohim answered.

"Izanami's in labor, but her body's steaming and getting hot! I think something's wrong and I don't know what to do!" Izanagi panicked.

Hearing that, the God of Light's eyes widened.

〖"Oh crap... just hold on, I'll grab Shekhinah and head right on over!"〗 He promised.

Izanami blasted out another scream.

"Double time it! No, triple time it!" Izanagi begged.

And that he did, with Shekhinah giving a panicked scream as he ran with her being forced into a piggyback, dealing with the stardust made by Elohim's sonic speeds.

"Sweetie, please slow down before I puke!" The Nature Goddess begged.

"No can do, we promised to triple time it over!" Elohim answered.

Right as he said this, he tripped over something, making the two panic as they began rolling around like a ball.

Their bouncing forms eventually neared the Trimurti, causing them to turn their heads before they got struck, flinging them all into the air before their rolling form was made of five deities instead of just two.

"Elohim, what's going on here!?" Brahma asked, his eyes spinning.

"Izanagi! Baby! Something wrong with Izanami!" He answered.

None of the Hindu Gods were allowed another chance to ask as they were launched into the air again, crashing near where Izanagi and Izanami were, getting the attention of both as they saw the unintentional Deity dog pile.

"Uh..." The Male God trailed off, looking to the side.

"Don't ask... I mean it." Shiva warned.

Shekhinah crawled out of the pile, soon getting herself near Izanami as she noticed the steam.

"Oh boy... I'm not sure why, but apparently her baby boy's a God with some kind of heat association!' She exclaimed, fanning herself.

"Yikes, that actually looks really bad." Vishnu realized.

All of the Gods joined Shekhinah and Izanagi, doing their best to help Izanami in any way they could.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, Kagutsuchi was seen crying as his mother held him in his arms.

"You're finally here, my little boy." She cried, struggling to breathe.

Shekhinah noticed her pulse slowing, and gasped a bit.

"Hey, someone help me here! Izanami's slipping!" She exclaimed, fear in her eyes.

Izanagi immediately took his wife's hands.

"Please, stay strong! Our son needs you!" He begged, trembling in fear.

"Don't worry... Izanagi... just need to... close my eyes for a bit..." She said weakly, starting to close them.

"No, don't close your eyes!" Brahma warned.

Izanami panted, handing her son to Izanagi, and giving him a smile... before her arms slumped and her eyes closed. Everyone watching froze as Shekhinah rested her head on her chest just to be sure.

There was no pulse to be heard, and that's when she immediately grabbed Elohim, unable to say anything.

"No... please, wake up... I beg of you!" Izanagi screamed.

As if sensing his mother's death, Kagutsuchi's cries got louder, feeling genuine sadness rather than random crying he was too young to understand.

* * *

Shekhinah found a small area in the vastness of the endless stardust, changing its shape into something like a box.

"Alright, it's ready..." She stated, wiping her eyes.

"OK..." Izanagi answered, taking a deep breath.

Picking up his wife's body, he placed it inside, soon forming a translucent layer over it as the six Gods all made prayer motions, with Kagutsuchi sleeping in a nearby crib.

"Let your journey continue beyond our reach... and find peace wherever you are and will one day be." They all prayed.

With that, Shekhinah made the coffin fall under the stardust, marking the area with a large  **R.I.P. Izanami**  above it.

Taking their son, Izanagi was the first to leave, with the others slowly following as they all went into their separate areas, feeling the deep pain in their hearts as they struggled to accept the loss of their friend.

'I'll make sure nothing happens to our child... I promise.' He swore, holding Kagutsuchi close.

Meanwhile, inside of the coffin, the scene focused on Izanami as her body started to glow... where the sight of something that looked to be a black slimy worm could be seen wrapped around her still beating heart.

" **P** _h_ **A** _s_ **E** _1..._ **C** _o_ **M** _p_ **L** _e_ **T** _e_ **!** "

* * *

Five years went by, and a young Kagutsuchi was seen eating some rice as he sat at the table with his father, noticing him looking solemn as he often did.

"Daddy?" He asked, blinking a bit.

"Huh? Oh... sorry Kagutsuchi, just... thinking about mommy again." Izanagi answered.

The young God got a bit said himself, looking at the picture of his deceased mother.

"Excuse me..." He apologized.

Izanagi watched him run off, and soon heard him crying, meaning he had gone to his room. For some reason his father never understood, he just seemed unable to cry unless he went in there.

"Nothing feels right about this family without you in it..." He sniffled, rubbing his eyes.

At that exact moment...

*"BAM!"*

He suddenly jumped, while a tumble was heard as Kagutsuchi tripped down the stairs from the shock it gave him. The Shinto God walked to the door, opening it to show a panting Shekhinah laying on the ground before looking at him.

"Oh, hey there. Do you need-" He asked.

She immediately lunged up and grabbed his shoulders, making him a little freaked out as she got in his face.

"Izanami!" The Nature Goddess exclaimed.

"Eh?" Izanagi blinked, feeling a little confused.

"Izanami... we think she's still alive!" Shekhinah exclaimed, panting even more.

His eyes widened, as if his recent words had been a prayer that was answered.

"W-what? But how!?" He asked, his voice shaking.

Shekhinah took a moment to breathe, soon looking at his face as she calmed herself.

"Elohim and I knew you were still suffering over her death, so thought we should find her soul as a way to let her still be involved in your life and help you heal. After we began asking some Dragons on how to do this... we couldn't find anything!" She explained.

Izanagi tilted his head at that, blinking twice.

"According to the Dragons, that can only mean one thing... she never died! Just to verify, I went to check on her coffin, and... it was empty, without anything showing someone else could have dug her up!" Shekhinah revealed.

His eyes widened brightly at that, feeling his eyes tear up.

"She's... she's alive..." His voice cracked, feeling years of sadness crack apart as hope finally began to well up in his heart.

"But where is mommy?" Kagutsuchi asked, his eyes shining.

"That's kind of the weird part. Based on what we've been able to gather, it's in this... moving cave?" Shekhinah answered, unsure of how to describe it.

Izanagi's eyes became white dots in response, tilting his head once again.

"Mu... just come with me, alright?" The Nature Goddess sighed, shaking her head.

* * *

Within the area that Elohim and Shekhinah called home, the God of Light was seen scrunching his face slightly as he tapped around a light construct he was using as a locator of sorts. Right as he focused on a certain area, his wife brought in Izanagi and Kagutsuchi.

"Ah, there you are. I'm guessing you explained the simple steps to him?" He assumed.

"To the best of my ability, and even then he was still lost... not that I really blame him with how weird it was to the both of us." Shekhinah answered.

Elohim sighed as he nodded his head, feeling embarrassed over how such a thing could confuse so many deities.

"Best way to see it? Might want to take a look at this directly." He suggested.

Izanagi walked to the light construct, which is when the God of Light pinched a certain area, making it zoom in on what seemed to be a giant black cave with a purplish inside based on its entrance... and it was moving across the endless stardust for reasons unknown.

"Are you saying... Izanami's inside of this odd cave?" He asked.

"Based on everything Shekhinah's done to sense her soul's presence and added verification from a few Dragons? That seems to be the consensus, but why she's in there we don't get." Elohim replied.

"My theory though? The stardust over where its crossing seems to restore itself, which may mean that it went through her grave and swallowed her inside. The fact she hasn't got out may mean she's not able to get out on her own." Shekhinah added.

Izanagi thought on that, making his eyes widen.

"Maybe the reason we assumed she was dead was due to an illness or something that just hid her body's vitals and left her comatose?" He wondered.

"Brahma had a similar thought, so I wouldn't rule it out. Though if she did wake up... I shudder to think what's inside of this cave." Elohim remarked.

Setting his resolve, he turned to the Christian duo.

"I'm going in to save her. As such, can you promise me that you'll watch Kagutsuchi?" He asked.

Both of them smiled, with Shekhinah putting a hand on the young god.

"Go rescue your wife." She encouraged.

"Thanks, now I'm off to do just that." Izanagi smiled, preparing to head over.

"Wait!" Kagutsuchi called.

Looking at his son, he gave him a wrapped cloth that held the Totsuka inside of it, the blade his mother had gotten him in honor of his birth.

"Let it keep you safe, bring us together like it was meant to before I was born." He asked.

Smiling at his son, he nodded before taking the blade, using it as his vow to bring her home.

'Izanami, don't worry... I'll be there soon!' He promised.

* * *

Tying a rope around his waist, the Shinto God looked at the Trimurti as they held the other end of a rope that Brahma made to be indefinite with his magic.

"Alright, remind me what my cues are?" He asked.

"Pull the rope once if you need us to help you move away, pull it twice if you're worried the rope may snap and/or need another of us to join you inside, and pull it three times if it's too dangerous and you need to leave and try again with new preparations." Brahma reminded him.

Izanagi nodded his head, picking up a lantern Elohim had prepared for him, one with a flame that wouldn't go out for any reason he might encounter inside the cave.

"Got it." He confirmed.

Taking a deep breath, he began walking near the cave's entrance as it slowly neared the group.

"We have a worst-case scenario planned, right?" Izanagi worriedly asked.

"All of us are here, and both Elohim and Shekhinah are willing to join in if needed. We've even gotten word from the latter that the Protogenoi will be able to drop things for a bit if it gets really bad." Shiva reassured him.

Standing still for a moment and then taking a deep breath, Izanagi walked inside the cave as the trio watched.

"He's begun the mission, now I wonder how long it will-" Vishnu remarked.

*"CHOMP!"*

The entrance of the apparent  _cave_  suddenly closed, immediately snapping the rope as Izanagi was heard screaming like he had fallen, with the Trimurti all freezing in shock as Brahma looked at the snapped rope.

"Uh... oh..." He slowly said, raising to look at what they now knew was a mouth.

"Oh god, you mean we just let him walk into a giant mouth!?" Shiva exclaimed.

A loud bellow could be heard as the trio looked at the giant worm-like creature, which now blinked to reveal two red dots for eyes.

Before any doubt could leave them, they all panicked and ran away as it suddenly rushed towards them to try devouring them.

* * *

Izanagi groaned as he got back on his feet, blinking as his senses tried to reboot themselves.

"Ugh... OK, so let me make sure of all this. I went inside the cave, the light disappeared all of a sudden, and then... I landed on a moist sponge?" He recalled.

He paused at that last part, and looked at the ground.

Moving his lantern close, it was then he paled at the sight of the floor, revealing it to look the gum line of his mouth.

"This is a stomach!" Izanagi screamed.

" **T** _u_ **R** _n_   **B** _a_ **C** _k_ **.** _._ **.** " A deep voice bellowed.

Hearing that voice, the future Shinto God of Life felt his skin crawl as every cell in his body screamed for him to run away... but he shrugged that feeling away.

His wife was waiting for him, and he would not abandon her!

"I'm not running from this... I'm going to save her!" He promised himself, taking his first step forward.

Rushing through the stomach of what would later be known as Yomi, he passed by various silhouettes with eyes lightning up. All of them giving bellows like that of whispers as they watched.

" **E** _l_ **I** _m_ **I** _n_ **A** _t_ **E**   _h_ **I** _m_ **!** "

They lunged ahead to follow the God as he traversed into the deeper areas of the living realm's body, then immediately dropped before him once they managed to move ahead of him.

Looking at them, he saw they were a mixture of ooze and sharp bones that made them look like fanged teeth, with a pair of glowing eyes on random parts of their body.

"Oh boy... I'm guessing all of you are cells in this thing's immune system?" He guessed, chuckling nervously.

All of them rushed towards him as their answer, making him glare as he focused Touki around his body to begin his assault against the antibody army that chose to stand in his way.

* * *

Outside of Yomi's body, the sight of it still trying to chase the Trimurti could be seen as Shiva tried to throw a destruction blast at it, only for it to do brief damage that was ultimately ineffective.

"This thing's way too sturdy!" He growled, still running away.

"Just what is this thing? Some kind of Dragon larva?" Brahma questioned, looking at his fellow trio of Gods.

"Not sure I want confirmation on what it is!" Vishnu exclaimed.

While they continued to run, they eventually caught sight of Ouranos in a distance, with his younger appearance being that of a boy with sky-blue hair that got whiter as it got closer to the tips. He was currently asleep as shown by his closed eyes.

"Hey!" Brahma shouted.

The original leader of the Greek Pantheon opened his eyes at that, noticing Yomi's form chasing the trio as she immediately got his feet.

"Oh god, what did you three do!?" He exclaimed.

"Not a damn thing! Now shut up and help us make this thing stop moving, Izanagi's inside there trying to find Izanami!" Shiva roared, glaring at him.

Having no idea what was going on, but knowing Izanami from what Shekhinah had told him shortly after creating him, he immediately held out his hands.

Yomi was immediately pushed into the air, forcing it to wriggle briefly before stretching down its oozy body to lock into the ground, but at the cost of being rendered immobile by the furious gale of the Sky God's winds.

"Think you can hold that for a while?" Vishnu asked.

"More or less, especially since I just had a nap to refresh me." Ouranos assumed, not showing any signs of fatigue.

"Alright then, let's open a path for Izanagi to escape!" He exclaimed.

His fellow Trimurti nodded, with the Greek Sky God's eyes flashing as a powerful wind focused on Yomi's mouth, struggling to force it open until Vishnu and Shiva rushed in and forced it open with a mighty tug on each side of it.

Brahma immediately swung the severed rope as he turned it into one of steel, creating a grappling hook to lock inside.

"The rest is up to you, Izanagi..." He whispered, sweating a bit.

* * *

Within the horrid center of Yomi's body, the sight of glowing could be seen as someone was curled in the center, that someone obviously being Izanami herself. A few cries sounded out of her mouth at the obvious circumstances she was being forced to endure.

"Kagutsuchi... Izanagi..." She cried, longing for the family she was sure had considered her deceased... if not having completely forgotten her.

"Get out of my way!" A familiar voice roared.

Lifting her head up, the future Goddess of Spirits gasped as her eyes recognized the voice she heard.

"Izanagi?" She whispered, feeling hopeful.

A large portion of antibodies lunged from the ceiling of the nearby entrance, but...

*"SHATTER!"*

They were all immediately broken as Izanagi shattered the monstrosities with a flurry of Senjutsu blasts. Taking a moment to breathe, he looked around the area until finally... he saw her silhouette.

His eyes widened as they filled with tears, despite he was still too far for his lantern to reveal more than her silhouette.

"Izanami..." The Shinto God whispered, crying a little.

"You... you really came for me... you came!" She cried as well, covering her unseen face.

As he prepared to rush towards her, Izanami's silhouette panicked and held her hands out.

"Don't come any closer!" She screamed.

He immediately froze, blinking in surprise as he heard the unexpected shout aimed his way.

"W-what's wrong?" Izanagi asked.

"U-uh... well..." She replied, unsure of what excuse she should give him.

There was no way the Goddess of Spirits could let him see her right now.

"You see... the thing is... well, I'm not exactly... because of... you know, the fact we're in a stomach?" Izanami lied, coughing a bit.

Blinking a bit, he soon remembered what a stomach used to digest food.

Something that wouldn't affect their bodies due to their divine energy, yet wouldn't have any effect on their current clothing if things took too long. That made him blush as he covered his eyes for a moment.

"Oh, my god! I am so sorry!" He apologized, putting two and two together.

"I-it's alright, but just wait until we're out before you look at me, that way I can take care of that unlike inside of this place... all my Chi's been eaten away, and I can't get anymore." She begged.

Hearing that, he nodded his head.

'That would explain why she can't get out. If it wasn't for my Chi, then all these antibodies would be the ones standing victoriously.' Izanagi thought, finally noticing his Chi wasn't replenishing.

Looking the other way, he held out his hand to let Izanami take it, which she quickly did.

"Alright, we're gonna run!" He exclaimed.

Such a claim was made at a good time, as more of Yomi's Antibodies began to form and swarm after the duo, making Izanami shiver at the sight.

"If I try to only fight them, it might leave me too weak to get us out. Do you know of anywhere we can use to escape back to this creature's mouth?" Izanagi asked.

"Yeah, with how long I've been inside... Yomi as I've come to call it, I've found a few places." She confirmed.

Feeling his vision covered as Izanami placed a hand over his eyes, she led them towards part of the giant creature's complex insides.

Many of the Antibodies collided as they were left struggling to follow them, making loud noises that gave away where they were.

"Cut them down, I'll keep leading the way!" Izanami warned.

Izanagi grabbed Totsuka and did just that, slicing down a single Antibody at a time without the difficulties of a group that forced him to use his Chi to battle.

" **Y** _o_ **U** _s_ **H** _a_ **L** _l_ **N** _o_ **T** _i_ **N** _t_ **E** _r_ **F** _e_ **R** _e_ **!** "

Rumbling caught the duo's attention as part of Yomi's body contracted, then started releasing some sweat that quickly formed into more antibodies, something that caught Izanami off-guard due to it being a first.

"No way... it's been hiding some of its tricks in case I got this far!" She realized.

"Get away from my wife!" Izanagi screamed, holding up the glowing Totsuka's form.

From the outside, Yomi's form briefly widened its eyes as a wave of Chi flashed out of it, making it blink as its sludgy form spread around the area, making the quartet of Gods nearly puke in response.

Back inside, the massive attack launched the Grand Shinto Duo close to the surface, but still a long way from the monster's mouth. This was just another testament to how the creature's inner body seemed to be many times larger than its outer half.

"Ugh... might have overdone it." He groaned, rubbing his head.

Noticing the inextinguishable lantern by his side, Izanagi reached to pick it up, right as his wife scurried away from it... but not fast enough for the light to avoid hitting her.

To avoid him seeing her hand... which was when his eyes widened as the pink color he saw.

"Izanami?" He questioned, looking her way.

"No! Don't do it, keep it away from me!" She demanded, screaming as she tried to move.

Luck abandoned her as she bumped into a corner, letting the lantern's light hit her form. That's when Izanagi gasped and briefly dropped it on the ground, feeling his eyes shake at what his wife currently looked like.

"I told you... not to look at me..." She cried, turning away from him eyes.

The legends defined her body had fit a heavily decayed zombie of sorts, but this form was... different. Her skin was now pink in color, with her hair now a light pink to pair with it, and white markings across them.

While she still had her Kimono on, it had taken glowing pink features, with energy coming off her body in the form of what best resembled botany tendrils.

"Izanami..." He breathed, looking at her.

"I'm hideous... don't look at me." She begged, crying as if her world was entirely destroyed.

**「** **ERASED: Just Something Heartwarming** **」**

At that moment, she felt her face forced to look at him, seeing he didn't look afraid or put off.

"No, you're not." He replied.

"Don't lie to me... how could you ever love something so hideous as I've become?" Izanami whimpered, unable to believe his words.

"Because... I think you look beautiful, as no matter what you look on the outside, you're still my wife on the inside." Izanagi answered.

Those words made her eyes tear up.

"I came all this way for you, so nothing could make me abandon you. That's why I don't want you to ever think that you're so horrid that all my love for you is tied to how you look... because only you being dead would ugly to me. To me, seeing you like that again would just tell me I failed, and for real this time." He reassured her, placing his forehead on hers.

5 Years they had been separated, 4 of them she spent in this disgusting form... and he still found it beautiful.

How could she have ever doubted their bond? Thought it was so superficial he'd only care about her outward appearance? She didn't know, but she didn't care... and immediately brought him into a kiss he returned.

"Whatever I did to deserve you... let our lives know it was the greatest gift of all." She sniffled, finally holding a genuine smile for the first time since her apparent death.

He smiled, hugging her close.

**「** **Insert Song End** **」**

Unfortunately, that touching moment ended when they heard more Antibodies appear... only this time? They were a new kind. One that was bigger, scarier, and had multiple eyes glaring at the duo.

"Does the body have more than one kind of defense against invaders?" Izanagi asked, since that kind of knowledge had yet to be learned.

"Not sure, but it makes sense!" Izanami panicked.

Both of them ran away, only for Antibodies to drop on the opposite side and appear faster than either could react. Many of them immediately began pulling Izanami and Izanagi apart, with the latter struggling to keep them together, sweating as he pushed himself to the limit.

"Izanagi, get out of here!" She screamed.

"No! I'm not losing you again!" Izanagi screamed, trying to reach her.

"You'll be trapped in here if you run out of power! I won't be able to get out if you can't! Please, just go!" Izanami begged.

He felt himself panting as he looked around, seeing his wife's tears.

"Please... I know you'll come back for me, so make it so I can return with you... someday." She begged, crying a waterfall as she stared at him.

Stretching one of her tendrils out, she poured a bit of her strength into him through the Totsuka's blade, making it flash with power.

"Izanami..." He cried.

Wiping his tears, he screamed as he cut through the stronger Antibodies and obliterating them.

"I swear to you that I'll be back for you! You won't have to wait long either, because I'll get the others and come back no later than tomorrow! I'm not letting myself or Kagutsuchi spend another day without you!" He promised.

The Shinto Goddess cried as she was forced back into Yomi's center, with a crying Izanagi blazing through the rest of the monster's stomach as he let his sadness and rage be what pushed him through their numbers.

* * *

Wincing as Yomi's oozy body flung off its slime in response to the battle happening inside of it, the Quartet of Gods stayed in place best they could while trying to not get covered in it.

"This is the most disgusting thing we've ever had to do..." Ouranos remarked.

"Eh... I'd rank it within the Top 5 at least." Shiva replied, having seen worse.

Brahma nearly fell forward as the rope was tugged, signaling all four of them as Izanagi made it known he returned to the mouth.

"Hang on, we're about to either have successor retreat!" He shouted.

Reeling it back in, Izanagi was launched out of Yomi's mouth without his wife, leaving Yomi to lower his eyes in a threatening manner.

" **D** _o_   **N** _o_ **T**   _r_ **E** _t_ **U** _r_ **N**   _f_ **O** _r_   **H** _e_ **R**!"

Ouranos stopped his winds at that sound, letting the monster leave.

Letting the moment settle, the Trimurti looked at their fellow deity.

"Izanagi... did you find her?" Brahma asked.

"Yes, but... I wasn't strong enough to bring her back. She asked me to leave her before I was trapped like she was." He confirmed, shaking as he did.

He screamed into the sky as he cried, letting the frustrations of his failure echo across the world.

Although he wanted to continue for a bit, he felt his eyes widen as he held his chest in pain, getting everyone's attention as they saw strange markings starting to crawl over his face, already covering his eyes and nose.

"He's contracted something from that monster! Quick, we need to get him to Pontus and Thalassa's pool and wash it away!" Ouranos exclaimed.

"Is anything going to go right today!?" Vishnu complained.

Everyone looked at him, making him blink before he shrugged.

"What? I'm worried if I mentioned the opposite, I'll end up jinxing us." He replied, hoping his logic made sense.

The other Gods all nodded at that, not wanting things to get any worse.

* * *

Walking to a large pool of water placed in the endless stardust, the Trimurti and Ouranos placed Izanagi in it, making the Shinto God breathe heavily as he felt something stress across his face more than it already was.

"The pain... make it stop!" He begged, clutching his chest.

"Your face, wash that... uh, weird stuff off!" Ouranos shouted, motioning to do so with both hands.

Having no idea of what else to do, Izanagi gasped before submerging into it and scrubbing his face.

As he did, Shekhinah rushed over with Kagutsuchi in her arms.

"I... heard Izanagi came back... tell me what... happened?" She said between each breathe, nearly choking at the end.

Each Trimurti looked at the other before pointing at each other.

"Really?" Ouranos remarked, giving them all a deadpan stare.

Kagutsuchi soon noticed his dead jump out of the water as he took a deep breath, the markings still on his face as he did.

"Dad?" He asked, walking closer.

"Thank goodness, the pain's... wait, something feels a little funny here." Izanagi shivered, itching his face.

Everyone looked at him with confusion, wondering what was going on with his face as he swung it around.

"Something's... trying to... AH!" Izanagi screamed.

The markings soon split into three, turning into light releasing from his eyes and nose before shooting out, making him blink as he felt all those strange feelings disappear.

"Huh... that was odd?" He questioned, blinking as he checked both his hands.

"Uh... Izanagi, this might win over that?" Shekhinah replied, pointing at the sky.

Looking at where her finger pointed as he left the water, he noticed the light from his eyes and nose flying around crazily, with one becoming red, the second turning blue, and the last one staying white.

All of them then shot into the ground, with the red emitting a bright fire, the blue giving a dark yet also bright glow of a translucent and faded light, and the white sparking like electrical energy.

"Duck!" Kagutsuchi exclaimed.

They all did, right as the energy burst out of the three colored areas and released an explosion of smoke.

"Is everyone alright?" Izanagi asked, raising his head up.

"Yeah, think we're all OK, but... what just happened?" Ouranos asked, blinking a bit.

Looking at the clearing smoke, everyone got their answers as they saw three silhouettes form, leaving them all to stare at what ended up being three new Gods standing before them.

By means that none of the Gods would understand until later, they had just witnessed the birth of the Shinto Trio.

"What the... did they just... and was I... what just happened!?" Izanagi stuttered, his eyes spinning into a spiral.

At that moment, Susanoo walked up to Ouranos and began poking him, making the Sky God try pushing him away. This failed to work as Susanoo wouldn't stop.

"Poke, poke, poke!" The white-haired God snickered.

"Hey, will you stop that!?" Izanagi ordered.

"No!" Susanoo replied, sticking his tongue out.

Unfortunately for him, Amaterasu finally had enough of her brother's actions and threw a fireball at him, making him scream as he was set on fire and ran towards water.

*"SPLASH!"*

He walked out with the signature sunburned skin his future self had, but it disappeared after shaking off the water, showing it had yet to stick.

"I hope you'll forgive him daddy, he doesn't know how to respect someone's space." Amaterasu apologized, giving a polite bow to her father.

"D-daddy!?" Izanagi repeated.

Taking a moment for his brain to process everything, he remembered the power Izanami gave him through the Totsuka, and then... traveled up his body. Everyone saw him pale.

"Oh god! Those markings were due to Izanami, so I basically gave birth to triplets with my face!" He exclaimed.

Shekhinah sweat dropped at that.

"Izanagi, that's not how birth works... at all." She sighed.

Brahma cleared his throat, looking at the newborn Gods.

"Eh... think we can get your names?" He asked, trying to distract their father from his panicked state.

"Oh, where are my manners. My name is Amaterasu, my younger twin here is Tsukuyomi, and our younger hotheaded brother is Susanoo." She apologized, revealing their names.

Kagutsuchi then noticed Tsukuyomi look at him.

"Can I please hug you!?" She asked.

Before he could answer, his new sister had already done so, making him blink in confusion.

"Uh..." He replied, sweating a bit.

"So, you've got a polite daughter, an energetic daughter, and a troublemaker of a son." Ouranos chuckled.

"Hey!" Susanoo yelled.

Tsukuyomi made a translucent blue hand to cover her brother's mouth with, making the others blink as he gave muffled shouts while releasing electricity and slight winds off his form.

"Oh boy, I'm so going to need Izanami to raise all four of you." Izanagi gulped, looking at the younger two.

"Father, about mother..." Amaterasu interjected.

He looked at his oldest daughter, wondering what she was about to say.

"We... want to help you save her!" She exclaimed.

No one had any idea at the time, but... with just those words, the world as the Gods and Dragons knew it would change forever.

* * *

**That's right, as the second backstory has just revealed, when Izanami mentioned the Earth back in her summarizing of her and Izanagi's story... she was saying the Earth didn't exist back then! Back then, only an endless cosmos full of stardust was what the Dragons, the eventual first life on Earth, and the first of the Gods knew as their home, and it was as mysterious as you'd expect it to be.**

**We've also been introduced to Izanami's Youkai Form, something that only she and Shinri possess due to their unique circumstances as beings who aren't Youkai, but have the powers of one. The only reason you haven't seen either of them use these forms until now is because while Yasaka was a serious battle, she herself was just under someone's control, and they didn't want to risk giving her any permanent damage from it.**

**Raynare has officially been redeem as well. I mostly did this because her fate in the original story was known to veteran readers, and because Yuuma had a large knowledge of Sacred Gears, I had a habit of her knowing almost any Sacred Gear the heroes ran into. Having Raynare be the smart sister means getting such knowledge won't be as easy.**

**Finally, we have the SBSB's wielder confirmed to be a Grigori ally that Yuuma's hoping can be sent to help them. Although, as a little heads up, the Longinus will instead be called the "Shooting Star Nebula" in this story, due to the team name of its canon wielder. Its canon name is still used, though split between the two Pseudo-Longinus that fuse into it.**

**Until next time everyone, and stay awesome! ^^**


	13. Chapter 13

**Time for the second half of the second backstory, and while I'm sure most of you enjoyed the last chapter, I will admit it wasn't one of my better ones. Then again, with how the backstory focuses on a time before Earth, the world as it was during that time didn't exactly give me much to work with until Izanagi got inside Yomi's body. With how things will go in this chapter, I doubt that I'll have that issue again.**

**For anyone that likes how I depicted Yomi, let me tell you know that this chapter will make you like him even more by the time we return to the present day. Making a living creature from what was otherwise a living death realm in Japanese mythology was fun to do, and I'm excited that everyone's getting to see one of the many things I never got to show in the original story.**

**Also, due to me revealing the Trihexa Fragments in the previous chapter, and this one question I got? I'd like to make it clear right now that Trihexa is _never_  going to appear in the present day. You might consider this a spoiler, but my reasoning for saying this is that Trihexa was meant as the final villain in the original, meaning it's something my veteran readers would see coming. As such, he's only a threat in during the BC era.**

**Now, let's bring this second backstory to a close!**

* * *

**()**  - Albion Talking via the Divine Dividing

 **[]**  - Ddraig Talking via the Boosted Gear

 **«»**  - Consciousness of any other Sacred Gear Talking

 **〖〗**  - Voice Speaking through a Magic Circle

 **【】**  - Voice made by an Announcement or through an Announcer

 **「」**  - Insert Song Beginning or Ending

『』 - Electrical Voice or Machine Speaking

* * *

**_Chapter 13 - The Spirit to Live_ **

Izanagi's jaw had dropped at his daughter's words, while the other Gods besides her siblings all gave shocked looks at what she just said.

"I'm sorry, but can you repeat that?" He asked, sweating a bit.

"We want... to help you... save her!" She slowly repeated.

Having fully verified his daughter had said exactly what he had heard, the God of Life gave an awkward laugh.

"Y-you're not seriously asking me that, are you?" Izanagi questioned.

Amaterasu walked up to her father, then slapped him across the face, making everyone's eyes go white as they gasped.

"Don't make it sound like you're the only one with that right. She's not just your wife, she's our mother... we only exist because of the power she gave you. Did you not consider she was trying to give you the strength you didn't have when you tried to save her the first time?" She questioned, giving a stern look.

"U-uh..." He stuttered, surprised by her reply.

'Whoa, so young yet so mature!' The other Gods all agreed in their thoughts.

Tsukuyomi cheered as she held an illusionary sign saying:  **"Go Sis, Go!"**  on it.

"I... I agree with her." Kagutsuchi stated.

**「** **Metal Gear Solid 4: Father and Son** **」**

Hearing his eldest child's words, everyone looked at him as he made a determined face, gripping his fists tightly.

"All my life, I've seen you crying as if you're trying to bear everything along. You never even considered bringing any of the other Gods with you as if they had no right. It doesn't have to be just you that saves her!" He exclaimed.

"Kagutsuchi..." Izanagi breathed.

With those words of inspiration said, the others all smiled.

"He's right, and we don't all have to go inside with you. We fought that thing from the front just to give you a way out, but that doesn't mean we can fight and kill that monster from the inside and out." Brahma agreed.

"Izanami's a fellow deity, we should all be there to rescue her in some manner, otherwise we can't truly call ourselves her friends." Shekhinah agreed.

Looking at his fellow Gods, the Shinto Pantheon's future leader closed his eyes.

"That's right, my wife is possibly just the first deity that Yomi will take, and she might only be alive because she's lucky... she even implied that before I left." Izanagi admitted.

Amaterasu looked at him, smiling as if pushing him to make the right choice.

Right then and there, he walked to Kagutsuchi and handed the Totsuka back to him, making his eyes widen before he even heard the next words he said.

"My children... let's go save your mother, together." Izanagi declared, making a confident smile.

They all cheered at what, while the other deities looked at each other, with Shekhinah taking the first step towards him in response.

**「** **Insert Song End** **」**

"So, how are we going to do this?" She asked.

"Hmm... think you can get a few Dragons to lend us a hand?" He asked.

* * *

Looking from a distance across the endless stardust, Izanagi and his four children saw the form of Yomi moving across the landscape, once again appearing as a moving cave due to its closed eyes.

By this point, it seemed likely it was eating the stardust to help feed itself alongside the power it was taking from Izanami, which Shekhinah had theorized it may be doing in a parasitic way.

"We might not get another chance after this, so... are all of you ready?" He asked.

"All of us chose to come here, so we're not walking away from things now." Kagutsuchi replied, holding his sword close.

Susanoo stabbed the ground, pulling the Murakumo in its previous form as the Kusanagi, which lacked its serrated blade or purple coloration, which was instead more of a sky blue to reflect him being a Storm God.

"I'm ready to make that monster feel the thunder." He smirked, cracking his free hand's knuckles.

Tsukuyomi and Amaterasu briefly showed off their own respective powers.

"No hesitation from any of us. Either we succeed and leave with mom, or we fail and be a family from within the cage of that monster's insides." Tsukuyomi stated.

"Yes, this is the path we've all chosen for ourselves." Amaterasu agreed.

Upon hearing that, Izanagi smiled as he took a deep breath.

"HEY, YOMI!" He screamed.

The black worm-like creature stopped moving at that, its eyes shooting open as it turned its head over.

" **Y** _o_ **U**...  _d_ **I** _d_ **N** ' _t_   **I**   _w_ **A** _r_ **N**   _y_ **O** _u_   **N** _o_ **T**   _t_ **O**   _c_ **O** _m_ **E**   _b_ **A** _c_ **K** _!_ **?** "

"Sorry, but I'm not a good listener sometimes, and I made a promise to her that I would before you gave me that warning." He retorted.

Growling a bit, Yomi's form released a loud bellow as it started to shake, making its body start to swell as its slimy form began to change.

"OK, this might complicate things a bit..." Izanagi noted.

What initially started as a worm-like creature soon became a Dragon-like Caterpillar, giving a fierce glare from its new pupils.

" **P** _r_ **E** _p_ **A** _r_ **E**   _y_ **O** _u_ **R** _s_ **E** _l_ **V** _e_ **S** ,  _b_ **E** _c_ **A** _u_ **S** _e_ **.** _._ **.** "

His distorted voice released a loud shriek, soon settling into a coherent growling sound.

 ** _"Today is the day you die!"_**  Yomi exclaimed.

"Shekhinah, now!" Izanagi exclaimed.

As the monstrous creature prepared to unleash some kind of blast from its maw, Shekhinah popped out of the ground, getting Yomi's attention.

"Dragon army, attack!" She announced.

The monster immediately fell over as a flurry of fireballs and other elements struck its upright form, using his moment to attack Izanagi as their chance force it on its back. Roars were heard from many Dragons as they all flew into view, blasting at Yomi even more as they kept swarming around him.

 ** _"You damn lizards, get out of my way!"_**  He demanded.

He blasted at them, failing to hit any of them due to their speed and midair maneuverability.

 ** _"I'll just destroy you all at once!"_**  Yomi promised.

Slits on his body opened, revealing more openings as many magical circles formed over them, immediately signaling to his intent of launching a whole fleet's worth of beams.

" **Tachyon Silence!** "

Rippling rings began to hit Yomi from the side, causing him to find his body unable to move or attack, but still completely aware and able to speak as his eyes widened.

**_"What!?"_ **

Ouranos was soon seen as he stood on a tornado, with his fellow Protogenoi consisting of Ourea, Thalassa, Chronos, Pontus, and Eros.

"Hurry Izanagi, get inside while you have the chance! All of us will fully begin the outer assault from there!" The Time God shouted.

"Thanks Chronos!" He replied.

Looking at his children, he put a hand on their shoulders before they all charged in, Yomi glaring as he pushed all his will to try and defy Chronos' time hold. Slight movement happened as he readied a blast, but...

" **Divine Judgement!** "

Elohim's light beams rained from the sky, smashing into Yomi's form as it pushed him back into Chronos' hold.

"Hurry Izanagi... can't hold him... much longer..." He grunted, feeling himself sweat as his entire body shook.

The God of Light looked to see his friend, with everyone else among the Gods and Dragons watching as they watched to see who would win out, and then...

"Ah!" Chronos shouted, finally passing out form the strain.

Yomi began to move, but Izanagi screamed as he jumped with all his children in hand, managing to slide into Yomi's throat.

 ** _"Hurk!"_**  Yomi gagged, his cheeks briefly swelling.

"He made it!" Elohim announced, looking at everyone.

A quick cheer was released before the battle between the monster and everyone else resumed, with Ouranos smiling at his fellow Protogenoi.

"Nice job, you did it." He praised.

* * *

Izanagi and his children all screamed as they slid down the much larger throat of Yomi, landing in a puddle of saliva to their shared dismay.

"Eww!" Tsukuyomi exclaimed.

"Sis, make a towel! Make a towel!" Susanoo begged, feeling his skin crawl.

The Moon Goddess listened and made five, letting them all wipe the saliva off.

"Did that happen last time?" Kagutsuchi asked.

Izanagi refused to answer that, though his children all agreed that was to be taken as a no, or it just wasn't as bad during his last trip.

"Oh crap, I forgot the lantern. Now we're grossed out  _and_  blind." He sighed.

"No worries, I've got this." Amaterasu replied.

She created a fireball that floated around the group, helping them all to see better than the lantern would. A drop of slime even verified it wouldn't extinguish not unlike the lantern's flame.

"I asked Elohim to change the property of a fireball I gave him, knowing you might forget it." She smiled.

"Wow, you're making the rest of us look dumb." Izanagi chuckled, rubbing his daughter's head.

"Hey!" Susanoo exclaimed.

Right as he did that, the evolved Antibodies made their appearance, releasing shrilled screams towards the group.

"Everyone, we can't let our Chi run out, so don't use it unless you have to." Izanagi warned.

"So, in other words? Our blades and the powers tied to our associates as Gods... I like that challenge." Susanoo smirked, readying his sword.

" **Kusanagi Wind!** "

He simply swung his sword across the air, getting the Antibodies confused as to why they didn't try to attack them specifically... and then it happened.

*"SLICE!"*

They all suddenly broke in half, fading away as Izanagi stared.

"Let's see how tough they are when I don't even let them get close to us!" The Storm God announced.

Continuing his onslaught of swings, the new Antibodies that formed were all decimated by the wind.

Using this chance to rush ahead, new defense organisms of Yomi's body began to form, showing ones that could fly, had long bodies, or had shells for defense. The last of the three quickly shrugged the Kusanagi's storming winds.

"Oh boy..." He realized.

"No worries, I've got this part." Kagutsuchi replied, drawing the Totsuka.

Focusing heat into the blade, he rushed ahead for his own sword attack.

" **Sharpened Blister!** "

The armored Antibodies screamed in pain as their shells broke, leaving them open for Susanoo to raise a finger. He smirked before lightning struck them all.

"Leave the fliers to me." Tsukuyomi grinned, hopping in place a few times.

Snapping both her fingers, the sight of illusionary swords formed, making them all freeze before they were stabbed by their sudden charge towards their unguarded forms. They all crashed into the ground before fading away like their brethren.

"And now, for these little crawlers." Amaterasu stated, holding her own hand out.

Her father and siblings all began fanning themselves as the intense heat of her flames began to overtake the area, making some of Yomi's stomach lining ripple as the heat began to cause it pain.

"Yeah, that's way too hot to be simple fire." Izanagi remarked, fanning himself.

" **Solar Flare!** "

All of the Antibodies stared as the flames enveloped them.

* * *

Outside, the Trimutri moved into a triangle formation for a united attack.

" **Dattatreya!** "

Their united attack shot as a triangle-shaped beam that focused their three forces defying each other to unleash explosive power against Yomi's form.

Growling at them, he turned to unleash a blast, when suddenly...

" **Solar Flare!** "

Yomi suddenly screamed as everyone saw a flash of fire burn out of his body, making them all briefly stop.

"Is that one of the Gods inside of that monster?" A Dragon asked.

"That must have been Amaterasu." Shekhinah realized.

"Whoa... I didn't think she could unleash such a powerful flame." Shiva praised.

Yomi panted as it disappeared, but no damage was left behind.

"I'm admittedly more impressed this monster's able to take attacks from inside and out yet not show any signs of damage." Brahma remarked.

Vishnu's eyes widened at that, realizing something.

"Unless it's not that it didn't take damage, but managed to regenerate the damage it took?" He wondered.

"You think that's possible?" Elohim asked.

The Hindu God scratched his head, not completely sure of his own theory.

"Hard to say when this whole thing is covered in ooze that might be hiding the damage. Especially since it keeps making so much of it." He answered.

"No damage or damage recovering, we can't let up." Thalassa reminded them.

And with that, the onslaught continued as Yomi roared, charging up another armada-level blast.

 ** _"I will end you all, now perish!"_**  The monster screamed.

The resulting attack unleashed a huge flash across the battlefield.

* * *

When the flames died down, Izanagi blinked at the scorched remains of the current area they were in, having been so scorched, the areas that made Antibodies were completely seared shut.

"Yikes... Amaterasu, remind me to never piss you off." He remarked.

"No worries, I'm pretty sure Susanoo will be the one who does that to me." She smiled, looking at him.

"Hey!" Susanoo exclaimed.

Right on cue, he was immediately hit by her flames, making him run away as he was forced to roll across the ground to put them out, briefly reddening his skin again.

"Feeling toasty?" Tsukuyomi snickered.

"Shut up!" He glared, looking at her.

A loud scream soon got everyone's attention, with Izanagi immediately recognizing it.

"That's your mother!" The latter shouted.

Hearing that, all of the young deities gasped as their father's reveal.

"What's happening? She sounds like she's in pain." Kagutsuchi asked.

"Let me try and see." Tsukuyomi replied.

Focusing her eyes, her illusion powers aimed at a single point to try and see through the walls, and luckily? The attempt succeeded. Unluckily? It also let her see the horror tied to Izanami's screams...

Her body was partially sucked into the center of Yomi's insides, her Youkai form's sclera having gone fully red with glowing blue pupils. It seemed that one difference marked a complete form in this transformation. Now that it was ready, Yomi was apparently trying to mutate her based on her hands morphing between their current shape and claws, or the monster was finally eating her.

"I'm not sure what's happening, but if we don't hurry, we might lose her forever either physically or mentally!" She warned.

"Go, go, go!" Izanagi screamed.

All of them immediately rushed into the center area, where they saw a gigantic army of Antibodies rising as if expecting their arrival. This was enough to make the entire family of Gods look nervous.

"Kagutsuchi... Amaterasu... Tsukuyomi... Susanoo... I need you all to clear me a path. If anyone can reach your mother in this state, it's me." He requested.

Looking at each other, all four children nodded.

"You heard father, open a path for him!" She announced, her aura burning.

"Right!" They all replied.

They all rushed ahead, unleashing flames, wind, lightning, steel, and illusions against the forces. Izanagi shouted as he smashed his Touki coated body across the stragglers getting in his way.

"Izanami!" He screamed, lunging himself at her.

He grunted as a few Antibodies managed to strike him, but he still managed to reach her despite their attempts to pull him off. Panting as he pushed his willpower to the limit, he looked at his screaming wife's form, hugging her close.

"Izanami, it's me! I'm here like I promised!" He screamed.

As this happened, he felt his mind pulse as he saw himself in a mental landscape, where Izanami's normal and Youkai forms stood back to back with a solemn look on their faces. Blackness began spreading over what should have been white.

She was slipping away, and this was the last chance he had before they risked losing her forever.

'This form, he sees it as beautiful as what I should look like... but the further I fall into it, the more it seems like I'm slipping away. The more like I'm turning into... a monster.' Izanami's thought, her mind's voice echoing everywhere.

'Wait, are these... your thoughts?' He wondered, hearing them echo as well.

'Izanagi? How are... you here? Things are, so dark now... am I going... to fade away?' She replied, her two selves not reacting.

He rushed over to her, rubbing their cheeks.

"This is... is this how things have been for you these last 5 years? Has this been the struggle you've faced without me? I'm so sorry, you've been suffering... all this time." Izanagi apologized, hugging them both close.

'Your warmth... I've missed it all this time, but it scares me... that soon I won't remember. I'll be something else, no longer the one you love.' Izanami thought as she cried.

He hugged her close at that moment, a determined look on his face as he cried.

"What you say will never happen." He promised.

"I-Izanagi...?" She questioned, her two selves finally speaking.

"Monster, God, Dragon, or whatever you may become? Know that no matter what happens... I will always love you, because no matter how different we are, even if we were to become opposites? Our bond is one... that can never be broken!" Izanagi exclaimed.

**「** **Sonic the Hedgehog: His World** **」**

Her two selves cried even more as this was said.

"You will always be Izanami, and not even a monster like Yomi can take that away from you, from any of us! We are alive, and we will never let ourselves be lost as long as others reach for us, because I will never give up on saving you!" He screamed.

At that moment, he felt his body start to glow as he realized, what kind of God he was.

One that would fight for those who wanted to live, to dream, to find their own paths.

"I am Izanagi, the God that represents... Life itself!" He promised.

"My Izanagi..." Izanami cried, both selves hugging him.

Suddenly, the hold on Izanami broke free, causing all of the Antibodies to suddenly start screaming as if they were in pain. All four of the duo's children turned to see the two glowing as their powers began to awaken.

A God of Life, and a Goddess of Spirits, opposite yet bonded to one another.

* * *

Everyone outside panicked as the intense light of Yomi's attack threatened to destroy them all, but right as it was about to hit... the strange monster suddenly closed its mouth, coughing as if in pain.

The entire attack missed its targets as everyone saw its form contort unnaturally by even its standards.

"Hey, what's going on?" Pontus wondered.

"Look! On Yomi's back!" Shekhinah exclaimed, pointing at a glowing area.

Focusing on that area, everyone saw Yomi scream in pain as it looked at that area himself... only for it suddenly rip of like a butterfly breaking out of its cocoon.

The only different in this case? It was Izanami in her Youkai Form, carrying her husband and all of her children using her arms and Senjutsu tendrils to do so.

" **Youkai Form: Disengage!** "

Her form reverted to her original appearance, making all of the Gods smile as they saw her.

"She's free!" Elohim cheered.

"Incredible... it's as if whatever had her trapped within? She's not only overcome it, but made it into her own power!" Vishnu remarked, his eyes wide with shock.

Yomi continued to yell in pain as it changed back to his original form, then went even smaller and lost his mouth.

 ** _"No, this isn't possible!"_**  He screamed.

"Everyone! Attack him together! Let's end this blight on our world!" Izanami announced.

Right as this was being said, everyone noticed their auras swirling around Yomi's body, making him raise an eye as all the power began to condense, acting as a cage to hold the fiend in place.

 ** _"What is this? Let me go!"_**  Yomi demanded, thrashing around.

"This is it!" Elohim announced.

Holding his hand up, many magic circles formed, joined by the many other Gods in the battle, with every Dragon charging up a powerful breath attack.

" **Divine Judgment!** "

Once again, his beams of light rained down from the sky.

" **Dattatreya!** "

The Trimurti's triangular beam fired from their formation.

" **Solar Flare!** "

Amaterasu unleashed her mighty blaze.

" **Lunatic Craze!** "

Tsukuyomi created energy blades that flung themselves at Yomi's form.

" **Sharpened Blister!** "

Kagutsuchi rushed for his heated sword strike.

" **Kusanagi Wind!** "

Susanoo spun as a mighty cyclone formed, crackling like a thunderstorm.

" **Skylight Strike!** "

Ouranos dived forward, covered in a powerful cyan wind.

" **Double Maelstrom!** "

Thalassa and Pontus united their strengths together.

" **Avalanche Rush!** "

Ourea smashed his fists together, unleashing a grand storm of rock boulders he made from nothing.

" **Passion Blast!** "

Eros spun before throwing concentrated energy from his heart.

" **Gaia's Wrath!** "

Massive amounts of rainbow magic spewed from her form, creating synergy with the other attacks.

All of the Dragons then followed by firing off their respective breath attacks, covering the sky in a storm of their various elements. That left only Izanagi and Izanami left to unleash their deciding attack.

"Let's finish this, together!" He shouted.

"Together and forever!" She replied.

Taking her Youkai Form once again, their two powers combined as everything struck Yomi, making him scream before he saw the two rush at him.

" **Yin-Tang Bomb!** "

Both of them crashed into the giant monster, causing his eyes to widen as all of powers united with theirs, condensing with the energy binding him in place as a beautiful flash filled everyone's eyes.

 ** _"This can't be happening!"_**  Yomi screamed, feeling his form swelling.

And that's when a giant explosion went off, catching everyone within it, but somehow not harming them. All they could do was cover their eyes until the light faded.

**「** **Insert Song End** **」**

It continued to spread until finally, it seemed to envelop everything.

* * *

Elohim opened his eyes, and soon gasped as he realized a strange warmness resting upon him, looking around at something that wasn't the endless starlight.

"W-what is... where are we?" He asked, looking confused.

"This looks like... the small things we've all made, but bigger and in one form." Shekhinah noticed, having awoken as well.

It was a sight for everyone as they woke up, with even the Dragons showing amazement at the apparent miracle before them.

"All of our energies, they came together in one form." Shiva realized.

Brahma gasped, realizing this was like his ability to create, but... it was beyond, almost like they were puzzle pieces that finally made the picture they should have.

"We always had associations, yet some of ours were merely abstract. I originally thought that. However, maybe they just didn't exist yet." He realized, looking up.

The sight he met was a giant yellow orb, making Amaterasu gasp.

"I know what that is. Goddess of the Sun... that's what I knew myself as when I was born, yet never saw something by that name. Now I see it, and I can feel it's a part of me." She realized.

Finally waking up, Izanagi and Izanami looked at the same sight, with the latter understanding what it was.

"This is a world... no, it's our world." She stated.

Huh?" Izanagi blinked, looking at his wife.

Everyone joined him, with Izanami looked at the crowd before her as the wind blew through her hair.

"While Yomi had me trapped, I felt myself seeing things that I didn't understand until just now. Apparently, all that stardust was a material for making something bigger, and as it was? It was just emptiness waiting to be filled. Many times in the past, life formed and then came together to create vast structures called worlds, this being one we've come to make together." She explained.

"Hold on, you mean like there's been others before it? Then why did we never see one ourselves?" Ouranos asked.

Izanami paused at that, wondering herself.

"Perhaps they come and go in a cycle, one will end and then it begins again with a new group. If not that? Perhaps they're still there, but beyond us in a way we've never come to known since our beginnings." She guessed.

"Beyond us? What do you mean?" Elohim wondered.

"Sorry, but I don't really know the answer to that. I guess we'll have to find it ourselves." Izanami admitted.

Izanagi walked up to her, taking her hand.

"Maybe we'll find out, or we'll never know... but I get the feeling this place exists for a reason. So, let all of us nurture it to its best, starting with a name." He suggested.

"Earth." Shekhinah decided.

This name got everyone's attention as she smiled at them.

"Now we've gone beyond the stars and landed our feet on the ground, so... why not name this world after the new ground it represents?" She explained.

"Hmm... Earth, I think that's a fitting name." Elohim agreed.

With that, everyone looked to the sky, taking in the moment at the new world they created as it was seen from beyond, showing Pangaea on the vast oceans that would one day be filled by the things they would make.

* * *

A few months later, the sight of Heaven could be seen as Elohim looked at his creation.

"This is our place on Earth, one that I'm sure will lead to great things." He smiled, letting out a relieved sigh at his completed home.

"Father!" A male voice shouted.

Looking behind him, Shekhinah smiled along the original 10 Seraph, including the young Lucifer.

"Right, I'm coming." He chuckled.

Flapping his new wings after them, he was left unaware of a black dot of ooze crawling on the ground, showing the eyes of Yomi on it.

 ** _'Ugh... luckily I managed to survive that, so everything's still going to plan. With her power, it won't be long before I can finally achieve my goals, and this time success will stick. For now, I'll just help influence things from a distance.'_** He thought, looking at Elohim's throne.

Crawling onto the back of it, he settled himself as his eyes closed and a red-colored message appeared on his head, a message that had a single yet terrifying image on it.

That image was... 666.

* * *

**~ Present Day: Kyoto**

While the Devil Princess just paused at that last bit, the Hyoudou Siblings jumped right into their grandma's face, making her nearly fall over.

"Yomi was Trihexa!?" All three shouted in unison.

"Eh... yeah, specifically it was him as a larva that was still developing." She chuckled awkwardly.

All three slumped on the ground.

"I think I just threw up in my mouth." Issei remarked.

"Me too." Homura agreed.

"D-ditto..." Fubuki nodded.

All of them sipped their remaining tea in one gulp, as did Vali.

"I'd tell you about the Great War, but Lucifer's already called that. Not to mention if heard it now... I'm not sure how you'd handle it while still taking in the shock over learning this." Izanami mentioned.

"No worries, I don't think any of us are ready to hear it just yet." The Devil Princess replied.

The Hyoudou Siblings all nodded in agreement.

"Well, guess now that you've heard my story, you should all get back to training. Although I do have something that Homura might like to hear first." The Shinto Goddess remarked.

"Uh... before that, could we maybe see your Youkai form? I'm kind of interested in seeing it after that story." Issei asked.

"Oh? Alright, guess I can do that much for my cute grandchildren." She smiled.

Closing her eyes, she assumed the pink-skinned state she knew as her Youkai form, which was actually a lot cuter than her story made it out to be.

"Adorable!" Homura exclaimed.

Izanami giggled at that before changing back, smiling at the middle Hyoudou siblings.

"Thought it might be scary? I don't blame you when my story defines me getting through a traumatic experience, especially since I had to really see it before I realized it didn't look that bad. Not only that? Your father has one as well." She replied.

"He does?" Fubuki said in surprise.

"Yep, now for what I was going to tell Homura..." She continued, looking at her.

She tapped Murakumo, the sword her youngest son once wielded as Kusanagi.

"I've been told Dohnaseek and Kalawarner gave you a slight 101 about how it works, but I think you should know only the Shinto Pantheon knows a tidbit of information they didn't because of how it transformed into its current state." Izanami mentioned, tracing the blade.

"Hmm?" Homura blinked, looking a bit confused.

The Goddess of Spirits gave a light laugh in response, then had a dark glare form over her eyes as she pinched the blade hard.

Everyone screamed as they suddenly saw the blade split apart into eight and move like eight snake heads giving a shrieking hiss of pain, making Homura outright freeze as she passed out while standing up.

"Whoops." Izanami chuckled in embarrassment, flicking the redhead's forehead.

She gasped as she woke up, then paled at the sight of Murakumo's current form.

"Uh... Grandma Izanami, what is this?" Homura asked.

"Meet the Evil Dragon best known for his nickname of Venom Blood Dragon, the Evil Dragon Orochi." She answered.

The sound of glass breaking sounded itself in her head.

Orochi hissed at Izanami, who simply smacked on of the heads to make it whimper, soon retreating all of them back into its sword form like it never left it.

"When people hear the story, they think Kusanagi was in Orochi's stomach. But the real truth of that event? Susanoo stabbed into the Dragon with such force combined with a lightning shock that they fused together, making Orochi become part of the Murakumo, which in turn made half katana." The Goddess of Spirits revealed.

Hearing that, now it was clear why her sword tended to become so savage as it did when she ordered it to do something. Her sword was alive.

"What's an Evil Dragon?" Issei asked.

 **["They're a group of 7 Dragons who were all infected by Trihexa's influence. However, because Dragons are energy beings, it didn't work like expected. All of them attacked both his side and ours, then when they all came back after being slain, everyone had to deal with them in different ways."]**  Ddraig explained.

 **("Luckily, most of them have been tempered, but three of them still have yet to purge their unnatural aggression. Orochi is one of those in the latter category.")**  Albion explained.

Vali knew what her partner was talking about fairly well, as she recalled her father mentioning many Pseudo-Longinus housed fragments of an Evil Dragons inside them.

"So, does that mean Murakumo is more than a Holy Sword?" Fubuki asked.

"Yes, it's officially a Holy/Cursed Sword hybrid due to Orochi's nature, but it isn't like other Cursed Swords due to its curse manifesting as Orochi's aggression. It's for that reason why Homura being able to wield it was surprising... as no one's been able to use that sword for the last 1700 years." Izanami confirmed.

"And yet it chose me... why is that?" The middle Hyoudou child wondered.

Susanoo chose to walk into the room at that moment, getting her attention.

"The legends say I killed him because he tried to go after girls, and in a sense... that's inspired by why he became an Evil Dragon in the first place." He revealed, sighing a bit.

Homura tilted her head, blinking a little.

"Those 8 women were... all friends of his that died in the Great War, the eight of which being one that died in his own arms. That's what weakened him enough to be influenced by Trihexa like he was." Susanoo revealed.

"Oh god... so, he saw them all die like the rest of Humanity?" She realized.

Nodding his head, Homura looked at her sword, feeling a strange jolt as if she felt Orochi shedding a tear from the reminder.

"Among those who've tried wielding it, you didn't have any other reason besides being interested. I think maybe that's enough he wants to trust you. Perhaps in some way, this Dragon's just looking for something to fill the hole in his heart." Izanami guessed.

"Orochi thinks that's me, because I didn't have any hidden motive... it's just been trying to show me how it feels." She realized, looking at her sword.

"So, do you still want to use Murakumo, or do you feel this is too much for you?" Susanoo questioned, interested in what choice she'd make.

Looking at it, she took a deep breath.

"Is there a way I could try talking to Orochi directly?" She asked.

Susanoo's eyes widened at that.

"Had a feeling you'd say yes in such a way, and lucky for you, I know just the person that can help." Izanami smiled, winking at her.

Rubbing her cheek, the middle Hyoudou child gave an embarrassed giggle.

No one noticed Murakumo's glow briefly show, as if it was showing surprise.

* * *

Raynare was seen walking back into Paradise, feeling herself shake a bit as nerves struck her for a myriad of justified reasons. After all... she didn't exactly leave her on good terms due to that Shadow Person's actions.

'I'm really not looking forward to what I might get, even if it's a good reaction...' She mumbled.

Noticing the reconstruction being done for the damage she technically did, Penemue could be seen helping with organizing everyone's work.

"Um... hey there, mom." Raynare said quietly.

"Huh?" The female cadre blinked, turning around.

She dropped the clipboard she was holding as her older daughter was seen standing there, trying to look away.

"Raynare..." She breathed, feeling her eyes tear up.

And just as she expected, the hug fest immediately followed, leaving her blushing in slight annoyance at her choice of response.

"I'm assuming Yuuma called ahead?" She guessed, based on no one trying to attack her beyond a stink eye.

"Thank goodness, your father and I... we almost wondered where we went wrong with you, but we didn't... thank the stars above for this joy." Penemue sniffled.

'And now I remember what kept me from home so often.' Raynare thought, not being a touchy-feely type.

She pushed her mother off, vocalizing her annoyance.

"Right, right. Sorry about that." Penemue apologized, chuckling a little.

"Well, I'm going to see father and transfer to his research department, but first... do you know if someone calling themselves  _Shooting Star_  is free to go help her? Maybe anyone else?" Raynare inquired.

Blinking a bit, Penemue hummed a bit as she thought about that.

"Team Nephilim's busy with two Longinus wielders that Baraqiel found, but I can definitely send the agent you're referring to... once I find out where she is." She replied.

"You called?" A female voice asked.

Hearing that voice, Raynare looked up as she saw what seemed to be a trapeze swing made of light with a girl swinging on it, yet failing to see where and what it was connected to.

Quickly swinging herself up to place her feet on the bar, the girl flashed a bright smile.

"Here I am, and I'm-" She exclaimed.

*"SNAP!"*

Her face froze as she saw the ropes of light had snapped, making her sweat slightly before she fell to the ground, screaming until she finally hit it. Both Fallen Angels winced and slightly turned their heads at the resulting impact that occurred.

"I'm OK!" She replied, lifting her face back up.

Flipping herself back onto her feet, Raynare finally got a good look at the girl before her. She was a blonde with light purple eyes, and a noticeable black star marking under her left eye due to her pale skin.

Her attire consisted of a black/dark blue shirt with a bunch of star markings across its form, pale jean shorts with a star patched sewed onto the right leg, and white boots that reached halfway up her leg.

"And... we've found her." Penemue chuckled awkwardly, looking at her daughter.

Raynare groaned before shaking her head and face palming herself.

"This is the Shooting Star of Grigori, but her real name is..." The female cadre introduced, motioning a hand towards her.

"Stella Hoshimura!" She exclaimed.

"Uh... yeah, good to meet you too?" Raynare replied, feeling a bit awkward over her choice of introduction.

"Now, what's the hubbub you need me for?" Stella inquired.

The older Fallen Angel massaged her temples for a moment, releasing a heavy sigh before getting back to the point.

"My sister's dealing with a threat in Kyoto that indirectly involved me through possession. They may need help that the Red and White Dragon Emperors alone won't be enough to handle due to their inexperience with their Longinus powers." She explained.

"Ah, so we've got a hidden mastermind that worked under a decoy. I'll go grab my snack bag and head on down." Stella realized, giving a thumb's up.

She rushed inside to grab it, making Raynare groan.

"Is this girl really what Yuuma implied she was? Because the worst I'm seeing her give is a mere headache." She asked.

"Yes, that girl is a little bit in the clouds, both figuratively and literally, but when it comes to what she can do? Stella definitely ranks." Penemue answered.

Rushing outside, the Shooting Star of Grigori held out her hands, forming a star-themed sword and gun in them.

" **Star Blaster!** "

Firing the gun, it unleashed a bunch of blasts that became faint glowing spheres that represented stars in the sky towards Kyoto's surface, then immediately held out its sword counterpart.

" **Star Buster!** "

Cutting into the first one, she shot down towards the surface like the very thing her nickname was based on.

Raynare's jaw dropped at that.

"And she didn't even merge those Pseudo-Longinus, so you haven't seen what she can do at full strength." Penemue giggled, placing a hand on her shoulder.

* * *

Homura walked into part of the Imperial Palace, looking around for the person Izanami told her about.

"Is there anyone here?" She asked.

"Up here, on the ceiling." An androgynous voice answered.

Looking up, she saw someone who was hanging from a snake.

"Wait... a Japanese figure with a snake... are you Ugajin?" Homura realized, looking at the androgynous deity.

Nodding their head, their snake helped lower them to the ground.

"Izanami told me you'd like to speak with Orochi, and since he's a Dragon with heavy serpentine features due to being not unlike a Hydra, she felt I would have luck in helping you make contact." Ugajin answered.

"So, what should I do?" She asked.

"Get into a meditative stance, and I'll help you with the rest. Just make sure to lay the Murakumo on your lap." Ugajin explained.

Homura nodded and sat down, getting into position as she laid the blade on her lap.

Once that was ready, Ugajin's snake moved to coil around both, channeling Senjutsu through the both of them. Homura then gasped as her eyes opened up and began glowing.

* * *

They stopped as she appeared in some kind of realm of purple, filled with what looked to be the distorted faces of angered Dragons... no, the distorted rage of Orochi.

"Yikes... I'm definitely getting haunted by that image for a while." Homura remarked.

"Who goes there?" A male voice growled.  
"Leave this place!" Female voices screamed.

Nearly jumping out of her skin, the wielder of Murakumo turned as she saw part of the wall contort itself and then stretch out to reveal a certain creature.

"Stay, strong, stay strong..." Homura breathed, trying to keep her ground.

From the purple energy realm's apparent borders, the form of the Venom Blood Dragon manifested before her. It was a gray snake-like form with a center that had a coiled mass formed from its eight necks, which in turn popped out of eight spots in the coil.

Seven of the heads slowly transitioned through a gray to black, with red eyes and a white diamond marking on their forehead. Said heads were quite slender as well. For the middle head on the other hand, the black and white where switched and it had blue eyes. This head was also a bit larger, having more mass and bulk to it as well.

"You, the girl who wields us!" The female voices hissed from the black heads.  
"Tell us why you are trespassing here!?" The male voice questioned angrily.

"U-uh... I just wanted to... talk with you?" Homura replied, whimpering a bit.

Hissing in response, the white head that was presumably also the main head stretched out towards her, glaring at her as she felt her skin tone pale a little.

"To talk? That's a lot of nerve, considering that I'm pretty sure you're hiding another attempt to control me!" He stated, hissing like a rattle snake.

"N-no, I swear that's not it! I only came because... Susanoo told me your story, about how you lost some of the people you called your friends when Trihexa destroyed the original version of Humanity." Homura replied, waving her arms as she tried to not freak out.

Hearing this, the other heads showed some surprise, while the white one growled and prepared to bite down on her.

"Wait!"

It stopped before turning around to see the black heads looking at him.

"Let us hear her out first, we can act after the fact proves itself a waste." The female heads answered.

"Fine, but you will not get a choice in what I'll do, understood?" The male head warned, hissing a little.

The Dragon form of Orochi glowed before it transformed into a male form based on the white head, having short white hair and blue eyes with a gruff appearance that wore a sleeveless black shirt and khaki shorts.

Shortly after it briefly flashed to be replaced by a female form based on the black heads, having long black hair and red eyes with a beautiful and voluptuous form. Her attire consisted of a white dress with a few purple spots on its fabric.

"Wait... you mean your kind can take... OK, maybe I need to sit down." Homura breathed, doing just that.

"It isn't always convenient for our normal sizes to work in certain areas. There are times where we need to take a Human form or miniature Dragon body when a smaller size is needed." Orochi replied, her voice mainly female with a slight male resonance.

'OK, that voice is totally not creepy.' The Middle Hyoudou sibling thought, feeling her skin crawl from the sound of it.

Right at that moment, the Evil Dragon grabbed her head, pulling her face close to hers.

"Now, let's hear what you have to say for yourself." Orochi questioned, hissing slightly.

Homura was prepared to give the expected reaction... though when she finally saw her face, the only look she gave was one of sympathy.

"You look... so sad." She stated.

Orochi briefly flinched at that, but didn't change her expression.

"What would you know about sadness? You Humans of the time after the Great War... none of you know true sadness, all because your memories of such tragedies were erased. The 5 billion who gained second chances, and the rest like you who never had a previous life." The Dragon questioned.

"And you're right, I don't know that kind of sadness... but my mother does. Even if I don't see it, after all I've heard, I know she felt it. No, she's also had her own kind in the form of heartbreak... including being the only Human to survive." Homura admitted.

"Only survivor? I knew it, you're one of Eve's children. That's why I could sense a trace of the Fruit of Life within you." Orochi realized.

The redhead was a little surprised at that, but it made sense she inherited some level of its power through her mother's genetics.

"Yeah, I am... that's why I wanted to see you. Though now that I hear you say what you did... does that mean you've actually met the same friends you once had, but none of them even knew who you are?" Homura asked.

"I have no reason to answer you..." Orochi glared.

However, such an answer confirmed it... because those memories briefly flashed behind the purple, which the Evil Dragon realized moments too late. It was then that Homura saw each of her former friends' new lives had them try to use Murakumo, but not for the most noble reasons.

Unfortunately, that thought didn't linger for long as a shot of poison spat past her, making her briefly go white upon realizing it missed on purpose.

"Do realize that I'm in no mood to feel pity from you..." Orochi warned.

"Of course you are, why would you want pity? That's not going to help you heal... and it's not going to make me feel any better either." Homura stated, giving a sad look.

"What?" She replied, looking confused.

Getting on her feet, the Middle Hyoudou child didn't drop her current expression in the slightest.

"I used to be ahead of both my siblings, though now... both of them have gotten above me in just a short time. I've never been jealous of that. However, it makes me feel weak and pathetic, especially after being told I basically have no talent for magic." She explained.

Orochi just stared, looking as her hair covered her eyes.

"With that thought... if we have to fight again, and I'm unable to do more than swing a katana and make wind I can't even control yet? Then why am I even here? Right now, it seems like I'm the one alone among of my friends." Homura stated.

"Hmm... perhaps I was wrong, maybe you do understand." The Evil Dragon realized, looking down slightly.

Orochi looked at her, getting Homura's attention.

"I don't believe you've told me your name, so who are you?" She questioned.

"Uh... my name's Homura Hyoudou." The Middle Hyoudou child answered.

"For now, I shall give you the chance to earn my trust, but make me doubt you in any way... and you will have to face the consequences." Orochi warned.

The Dragon hissed before it transformed back to its Dragon form, making Homura fall back.

* * *

She immediately gasped before landing on the ground, looking as she saw Murakumo stumble away from her. Ugajin immediately looked at both her and the sword before releasing a small sigh.

"As I feared, it looks like the only way to erase Orochi's anger is to prove yourself through the sword. Good news is you've made progress." Ugajin stated.

"Maybe in the end I'm not truly meant for this sword, but... I at least have to try." Homura replied.

The redhead picked it up, taking a deep breath at the challenge the Venom Blood Dragon gave her.

Meanwhile, while she was holding it, an unseen manifestation of Orochi's white head could be seen as it looked towards Homura.

'Perhaps this girl might just be the one.' He thought.

With that thought passing by, the manifestation faded back into the Murakumo's blade.

*"CRASH!"*

Everyone in the room jumped as they saw Stella's disoriented form stumble through the now broken wall, nearly falling over before she righted herself.

"Oh... guess I still need to work on my landings." The Grigori agent replied.

At that moment, she fell onto her back, making everyone blink for a moment.

* * *

In the same area Raynare had been while possessed, the sight of the enigmatic master could be seen as they looked over an image of Kyoto in real time through some unknown method.

"My first attack didn't succeed, but even its failure was planned for." They stated.

"So, does that mean it's now our time?" Someone asked.

Turning around, they witnessed the form of a red, green, and blue Oni walk into view, each with a powerful weapon in their hands. The red one held an axe, the green one with a club, and the blue one a hammer.

"Rinsa, Virden, Azoilus... we've gotten what I needed thanks to Specter, and as such... the time to act has come!" They answered.

Holding out their hand, the Trihexa Fragment was revealed as it vibrated in their hand, soon crushing it as its power leaked out.

All three Oni were soon struck, making them roar as power flowed into them.

"The time has come for me to take what is mine! What I have earned! For you Yasaka, who only inherited what you have from your mother... the time for you to be removed is now!" The enigmatic leader cackled.

Some of the power was swallowed into him, making him give a distorted laugh in response.

* * *

Issei rushed ahead, dodging Amaterasu's flames as she threw weakened ones at him, while Vali zipped through Tsukuyomi's storm of energy daggers. Both of them quickly reached their respective training partner's chest, stopping only inches away from contact.

"Nice job, you're getting better at evasion." The Sun Goddess smiled.

"Dodging all those flames was still tough, I'm still not sure how I was able to get through all of that." Issei admitted, wiping the sweat form his head.

Amaterasu giggled at her nephew, ruffling his head.

"You know that old saying about Rome taking a while to be built, right? The training will take a while before you'll yield any results." She reminded him.

The wielder of Ddraig sighed a little.

"Guess that's true. Since I've only unlocked Ddraig's power, there's still a long way for me to go before I gain the title of Red Dragon Emperor." He remarked.

 **["If it were that easy, then most of your predecessors wouldn't have had to pass me on to another host."]**  Ddraig stated, chuckling a bit.

Tsukuyomi and Vali walked up to the duo.

"On the bright side? While Vali's definitely stronger due to her Lucifer blood, you've shown to be adapting fast thanks to your mother's blood. I think that shows you'll definitely be one of Ddraig's more powerful hosts." She praised.

"And if it helps, I definitely believe in your potential." Vali smiled.

Issei chuckled at that, rubbing his head. This got the attention of the Goddess twins as they noticed the redhead blushing for a moment.

"What?" He asked, raising an eye.

"Oh nothing." The Moon Goddess answered, giggling a little.

"Now come on, let's get back to-" Amaterasu replied.

At that moment, she noticed someone watching from afar, making them away. The Sun Goddess gave a slight chuckle at that.

"Still watching people from outside Kyoto like always." She stated, showing a light grin.

"What do you mean?" Vali asked.

"Our little Youkai Princess has always been interested in the outside world, but due to her role... she can't exactly go out to see it." Tsukuyomi explained.

The Devil Princess' eyes widened.

 **(I knew she had a reason behind asking you that question, and now the answer is clear.)**  Albion realized.

'Yeah, guess so.' Vali agreed.

Needing a moment to process the information, Ddraig swore he heard Issei's mind ticking like a clock.

"Are you saying you have a problem with her leaving?" He asked.

"Of course not. She has an older sister more in line for succeeding Yasaka, and she'd only need to do that if what happened to Lady Tamamo were to repeat itself. Kunou honestly has the means to ask permission to visit the outside world if someone were to allow her to join them... but I think she's afraid to say it." Amaterasu answered.

"So, her mother and sister don't even know..." Vali realized.

Both Goddesses nodded their heads.

"We'd tell them, but we don't feel we should. This is Kunou's dream after all." Tsukuyomi mentioned.

"I understand why, because you won't know if she's ready if she doesn't say it herself." Issei realized.

Right as the Lucifer Heiress tried to ask more, Yuuma ran in.

"Hey guys, come quick! My sister managed to get our Grigori agent here, and not just that, her Longinus' spirits think they might have an idea on who that Shadow Person's unknown master is!" She exclaimed.

Their eyes all widened.

"Let's head on over then, because if she's right, then we'll want to know who they are before they attack us again!" Tsukuyomi exclaimed.

Clapping her hands, they all warped into the main hall, getting all of them to blink.

"OK, that's something I'll never get used to." Issei blinked, regaining his bearings.

"Ah, so these are the current Red and White Dragon Emperors." Stella smiled.

Both of them looked at the blonde girl that walked before them, which made their respective hands glow in response. It was only moments before the Heavenly Dragons came out in miniature Dragon forms that resembled plushy dolls in appearance.

Stella brought out her two Pseudo-Longinus, which caused a man with neat brown hair and Greek armor to manifest from the Star Buster, and a woman with long brown hair that wore the outfit of a Greek Princess to manifest form the Star Blaster.

 **["Perseus! Andromeda! It's been too long!"]**  Ddraig greeted, smiling at them.

 **«"That's right Ddraig, we saw you and Albion last around a century ago if memory serves me correctly."»**  Andromeda smiled in return.

Eve giggled a bit as her son gave a confused blink.

"Most of the Longinus Spirits are somewhat familiar with one another due to the Great War and the locations some of them lived." She explained.

"That's right, both of have origins from Europe." Issei recalled.

Fubuki scratched her head slightly.

"But I thought mom was the only Human that survived the Great War, so how are these two in a Sacred Gear?" She asked.

 **("Those of us in the Sacred Gears are essentially trapped inside of here. By all means, even if they aren't dead, they aren't exactly alive either.")**  Albion explained.

"Oh, so in exchange for survival..." Fubuki realized.

Lucifer nodded his head, looking at Issei and Vali.

"It wouldn't be wrong to say that Sacred Gears with spirits inside are the closest things to what Humans known as reincarnation, in the sense of being reborn as someone that is." He explained.

Stella got an interested look before she smiled, making her Longinus' spirits give an awkward chuckle.

"Wait, but how would that work for her? She has two because of the Sacred Gears that make her Pseudo-Longinus." Issei asked, pointing at her.

Hearing that, the Devil King started laughing.

"Let me guess, that's how Vali described them to you at one time?" He asked.

"Eh..." His daughter laughed, blushing in embarrassment.

"She got that a little mixed up at the time she told you and didn't remember to reexplain it later. Pseudo-Longinus refer not to the combination of the Sacred Gears that make them, but the components themselves, which were born because of the strong link between their sealed spirits." Lucifer clarified.

Nodding his head in understanding, he looked towards the two spirits tied to Stella's Sacred Gears.

"Like how you two are married because of what happened with Cetus, or the fact you're closely linked constellations from Greek mythologies?" He assumed.

 **«"Exactly."»**  Perseus confirmed.

Yasaka soon walked up to the two, making them turn towards the Youkai Leader.

"So, do you really have an idea of who used me to attack Kyoto?" She asked.

 **«"We may, it depends on what you can tell us."»**  Perseus responded.

"From what I can recall, despite I'm unable to remember anything between my capture and when I awoke... yes, there was this feeling of chi that I felt." Yasaka recalled.

Izanagi snapped his fingers.

"Those chains that were controlling you!" He realized, pointing in the air.

Upon hearing that, Andromeda gasped as something came to her.

"Andromeda, that's familiar to you?" Izanami asked.

 **«"Yes, and in a very terrifying way... one that I've never seen used in my presence as an ally."»**  Andromeda verified, closing her eyes.

 **«"As have I, now that she mentions it."»**  Perseus sighed, doing the same.

Everyone listened as they both opened their eyes.

 **«"These chains aren't the main problem though. From what we've come to learn, they don't work on people who are a certain level stronger than the user, with Youkai having an even greater resistance."»**  Perseus started.

 **«"For someone like Yasaka, the only I know with that kind of power is the worst person for your faction to call an enemy..."»**  Andromeda continued.

At that moment, all of the Shinto deities suddenly widened their eyes.

"No way... you mean?" Kagutsuchi realized.

Susanoo quickly punched the wall in anger.

* * *

The three Oni who were being empowered soon grew three times larger, with Rinsa gaining lion like fur across his body, Virden getting stone plating across his limbs and chest, while Azoilus grew blade-like sails on his backside.

As for their mysterious master, his form began to light up, showing a small figure with claws.

**«"The enemy before you is... Master Nurarihyon"»**

Right at that very moment, his figure became large and muscular as his uniquely large head shifted into be more like his Oni's, his ears being the equivalent to their horns.

"Finally, our time is now!" He smirked.

Laughing towards the ceiling, many of the Youkai found in their home realm could be seen, only with a more aggressive look than the peaceful members of their kind.

Youkai that just happened to be fully loyal to Master Nurarihyon and his plans.

* * *

**Did any of you see that coming? I told you all the backstories were connected, and the proof of that was confirmed by revealing Yomi is none other than Trihexa in his larva stage! How they all link won't be clear until we reach the Great War arc, but now you can see how the puzzle's starting to fit together, and I can guarantee you won't be disappointed by this important part of the story.**

**Anyways, now you know how the Earth exists, and to help clarify Amaterasu's words at the end if they confused you? All of the Gods who caused the Big Bang influenced part of Earth's structure, with Amaterasu being the reason our Sun exists, with further Sun deities guaranteeing it would continue to exist should she die. In a sense, if there's a new God tied to something that doesn't exist yet? That God's birth makes it a reality.**

**For another surprise in this chapter, we've learned the Murakumo actually _is_  Orochi himself. Not only that, but only his main head is actually male, while the other seven are female. That may be strange, but there's something related to that later in the arc, though I can say it's based on Yin and Yang due to how I chose to have all of the heads colored as I did.**

**We've also met Stella, the wielder of the Star Buster and Star Blaster, who just happened to have the right people to reveal the Kyoto arc's main villain... and it's Master Nurarihyon that's the culprit! While he is a good guy in canon, he did show he can definitely play the part, so I figured why not try have him in the role of a villain here? Not to mention he's a good first challenge for our heroes to face.**

**Until next time everyone, and stay awesome! ^^**


	14. Chapter 14

**Last chapter brought in a lot of interesting revelations related to the overall, and to the Kyoto arc as an individual. Especially since last chapter makes it clear the main battle of this arc is starting. Just like before, I have good reason to keep Lucifer and the other behind to avoid the battle being one-sided, especially as it's already been mentioned by them a while back that these are battles they may need to fight.**

**At the same time, they aren't going in alone, as I have someone interesting joining them along with Stella in this coming battle, and you'll know who it when you see them. Besides them, only Yuuma's group, Kunou, and a few other Youkai will be helping them out on this, meaning this is truly the first time our heroes will have to fight... where they must succeed.**

**They are all still too inexperienced for a fight of this level, so things will be a challenge, especially since Nurarihyon and his three Oni allies have all been empowered by the Trihexa Fragment he managed to take from Raynare's body. Due to this, I'm pretty sure these will be some exciting fights, as our heroes will have to push hard to achieve victory against the enemies they're about to face.**

**So, it's time to begin the end of the Kyoto arc!**

* * *

**()**  - Albion Talking via the Divine Dividing

 **[]**  - Ddraig Talking via the Boosted Gear

 **«»**  - Consciousness of any other Sacred Gear Talking

 **〖〗**  - Voice Speaking through a Magic Circle

 **【】**  - Voice made by an Announcement or through an Announcer

 **「」**  - Insert Song Beginning or Ending

『』 - Electrical Voice or Machine Speaking

* * *

**_Chapter 14 - Evil Spirits, Part 1_ **

Letting the revelation sink in, Izanagi bit his nails slightly over the fact that Master Nurarihyon was the mysterious master that had used Yasaka against them not too long ago.

"Damn it... I should have seen this coming, yet it never crossed my mind." He growled.

"None of us did, so we all share the fault of not stopping this before it happened." Izanami replied, putting a hand on his shoulder.

Yasaka looked confused and worried.

"Um... I'm sorry, but I don't understand what's going on?" She inquired.

Susanoo looked at her, still looking angry over the current development.

"During the Great War, after your mother was slain, he was in charge of the Youkai for a certain period. This lasted until the war was over and you succeeded your mother, having trained for the role since then." He explained.

"But..." Yasaka replied nervously.

"He was not happy at all, and felt this made him earn the right to lead all Youkai, but our parents were firm. You had trained your whole life for this, and he could never link to the Leylines as a Kyuubi could." Kagutsuchi answered.

Tsukuyomi sighed as she took over, crossing her arms.

"After that, he left Kyoto and moved over to the Kanto region, but never did anything in the years that followed. Guess after two millennia without him doing anything, the lot of us figured that it eventually passed over... guess that was grudge he refused to let go of." She stated.

"Basically, this guy is a selfish old man who thinks he's been denied what he earned yet never actually did due to circumstances beyond his control?" Vali summarized him.

Amaterasu scratched her head, smiling as she gave a nervous sweat drop.

"Guess the Devil's Civil War isn't too unlike what's happening now, isn't it?" She realized, noticing the irony of Lucifer's family being here.

Lucifer sighed, looking at Izanagi and Izanami.

"Regardless of the reasons and whatnot, him preparing to attack us again means he's sure that Kyoto would fall even with us defending it. Leaving to try fighting him would play right into his hands." The Devil King stated.

"Hate to say it, but you're right. It would likely end with what he wants happening faster than if we waited... which means we pretty much called it earlier." Izanagi agreed.

The adults all looked at the kids, making Fubuki give an audible gulp in response.

"So, you want us to go and fight his forces before most if not all of them come here?" Issei realized, sweating a little.

Lucifer nodded his head, but after he did...

"Don't worry, even I know at this stage of your training that we'll need to give you a little help. Good news is there's one member of my peerage that I can send with you." He stated.

Holding out his hand, all of his Pawns manifested in them before he tossed them at an open spot outside. Where they landed created a huge magic circle.

Immediately forming out of that circle was a giant mechanical Golem creature with a brown body and blue-green lights on its head that acted as its eyes.

"Wait, isn't that..." Vali gasped.

"Hey there Gogmagog, how's it been?" Izanami smiled, waving towards the Golem.

The giant machine replied through loud grunting sounds, which translated as words.

"Uh... is it weird I heard a clear hello from that?" Fubuki asked.

"Not at all, this is a special machine known as a Gogmagog, one of many that had been created by the Ancient Gods to fight Trihexa near the end of the war. He's also the only one of his kind that's left since the rest of his kind was deactivated and sent to the Dimensional Gap when their purpose was finished." Eve reassured.

"This guy is pretty much incapable of dying and can mimic any weapons, so he'll help you out a lot. Though he isn't exactly the brightest." Lilith giggled.

Gogmagog rubbed its head at that, likely showing something along the lines of being embarrassed.

"Alright, I need you to watch my daughter and her friends on a serious operation. Think you can do that on such short notice?" Lucifer asked.

In response to that, the ancient weapon's eyes flashed before raising its arms up in agreement, making the Devil King smile.

"So, what are all of you going to do?" Yuuma asked.

"We'll be staying here, just in case any stragglers get past you. Though I'm betting he'll keep anyone with Sacred Gears over with him due to knowing I'm here. Unfortunately for him, that'll still work against him if Vali's fighting." Lucifer answered.

'Uh... why would Vali make that useless? Does she know every Sacred Gear's weakness or something?" Issei asked.

Father and daughter briefly giggled in response, making him raise an eyebrow in confusion.

"I don't blame you for not getting it, as while it did show up in my story, there hadn't been any Sacred Gears for you to notice it was happening." Lucifer apologized.

"He's talking about the special ability of his bloodline I inherited, as every Devil among the original group has a unique power tied to them." Vali smiled.

"You see, when the Spear of Longinus struck me when it did? It gave me a little something that I wasn't aware of until he deployed the Sacred Gears during the Great War, and that was the ability of the Lucifer Clan... the Sacred Gear Canceller." He revealed.

Stella and the Hyoudou Siblings immediately gasped at that.

"As in they don't work on you at all!?" Homura questioned.

"Well, there are three exceptions to this, but you said it just as it is. Said exceptions are that Healing-types aren't affected because otherwise I'd be in trouble if an ally used theirs on me, enhancement or support-types also aren't affected for the same reason. The third exceptions are Longinus, due to the True Longinus giving me this power before it became one, including the Pseudo-Longinus that are used to make four of them." Lucifer confirmed.

Feeling the others stare at her in awe, the Devil Princess blushed a bit, twirling a lock of her hair.

"So, if there are any Longinus in Nurarihyon's army, they'd definitely be sent out and avoid fighting Vali entirely." Izanami smiled.

"If that's the case, are there any Longinus wielders that can be on his side?" Suzaku asked.

"On the Devils' side, we have three officially, two that my Bishop Mephisto is aware of, and one that's not with us yet under our protection for now. The Demons also have one on their side that I'm aware of while having eyes on two. Add the two that are currently off radar, and that's currently eleven he can't have." Lucifer stated.

Stella began counting on her fingers at that moment, humming a bit.

"As for us Fallen, I'm our only official user, but we have found two others we're currently watching over. The Angels have also managed to get all four of the Holy Relics last I checked, along with one other to give them five." She recalled, looking at said fingers.

"That's another eight to bring our total to nineteen, meaning only three people can be with him, and even one Longinus is considered dangerous." Yuuma remarked.

Tsukuyomi shrugged at that.

"Hey, at least we know if any are with him, it would still be impossible for him to have more than the amount he'll be fighting against." She mentioned.

"Oh yeah! Me, Vali, and Stella make three Longinus users for our side." Issei realized.

"Seems like we're sufficiently prepared, so let's not worry over that and focus on stopping Nurarihyon's invasion." Mittelt stated.

Yuuma's team, Stella, and the others (sans Fubuki) all gave confident looks as Gogmagog slid its one arm inside to count itself.

"Out of curiosity, do we even know where to find Nurarihyon?" Homura asked.

"For him to do all this without suspicion? He has to be in Kanto, the same place we all saw him leave and left him. I just hope that I'm right about this." Izanagi assumed.

Tsukuyomi motioned her fingers around, making a large magic circle underneath the group.

"I can't send him to you directly, but I'm positive you'll find out where he is, so good luck." The Moon Goddess smiled, waving her hand.

And with that, they all disappeared.

* * *

The whole group was dropped in an area of Kanto, with Gogmagog luckily being first so his heavy form didn't crush anyone, and quickly regained their bearings as they looked around.

Looking around, everyone looked confused as the wind blew a piece of paper around in a loop.

"Uh... does anyone know where we should be going? I mean, we couldn't have been sent here without a plan, right?" Yuuma asked, blinking a few times.

"Nope, so I guess Tsukuyomi dropped us off prematurely." Stella laughed.

Right as everyone was prepared to groan at that, a talisman fell on Fubuki's head.

"Hey guys, it looks like they sent us something." She stated, holding it out.

Gogmagog turned its head to look before reaching out to grab it, blinking a few times before smashing its arms together and then grabbing the air.

This confused everyone... until it ripped an opening to a pocket dimension similar to the Youkai Realm.

"What the!?" Homura exclaimed.

"It seems Lord Izanagi and Lady Izanami created a similar realm for Master Nurarihyon to live in. They must be hoping he's still inside." Kunou remarked.

"Yeah, that makes... wait a second." Vali replied, right before she paled.

Everyone turned to see a dotted line marking the currently  _present_  Kunou, making them all give a surprised scream.

"How do you keep doing that!?" Mittelt screamed.

"Simple answer? A Kyuubi is basically foxes with nine tails, and foxes are sneaky." Stella replied.

Yuuma's group raised an eye at her, making her look at them and blink in response.

"What?" She asked.

Issei looked at Kunou, sighing as he knelt down for a piggyback.

"Huh?" The Kyuubi blinked.

"You're already here, so I guess we can't exactly tell you to go back. You'd probably have to walk all the way home." He explained.

"Fair point, Tsukuyomi probably couldn't send her back without either taking us all or leaving us to walk back." Kalawarner realized.

Knowing that she really didn't have an easy way back without them, Kunou hopped on Issei's back.

"Alright everyone, this is it. Let me just tell you know that once we go in... we may only come back out by winning. That's something I won't lie to you about, so let's make a promise to all come back here alive!" Vali stated, holding a hand out.

Everyone quickly followed, putting their hands on top of each other, with Gogmagog simply hovering its arm over them due to his size.

"Uh... let's go then!" Issei exclaimed.

"LET'S GO!" Everyone repeated.

They all rushed through the rip, immediately causing a few Youkai to notice them.

"Intruders! Sound the alarm!" One of them warned.

Multiple Youkai opened their mouths, releasing a noise that managed to perfectly mimic a disaster siren. From within his room, Nurarihyon's eyes immediately widened.

"They already figured me out? Quick, get me a visual!" He demanded.

His Ungaikyo immediately rushed into view, making its mirror glow to reveal an image of Vali and Yuuma's groups.

"Wait, these aren't who I expected!" Nurarihyon remarked.

"Master, it seems they however knew you wanted them to either stay or leave, and had reinforcements come to attack us here while they keep the home front safe." Rinsa theorized.

"So, they're smarter than I gave them credit for." He realized, tightening his claws.

Looking at his Oni Generals, he pointed a finger towards the entrance/exit of the room.

"Destroy all of them!" He ordered.

"Yes Master!" They answered, raising their weapons into the air.

All of them immediately rushed out to deal with their invaders.

* * *

Once the group was deep enough in enemy territory, a bunch of Youkai of various types immediately appears before them, making Kunou shake slightly.

"These Youkai, they're nothing like the ones I've seen in Kyoto..." She said nervously.

"Makes sense. If they're all siding with Nurarihyon, then all of them must believe in his reward by results mindset." Vali remarked, noticing all of the scars and injuries most of them had.

At that moment, Stella walked ahead and held out her hands, forming the Star Buster and Star Blaster in each.

"I'll give them an opening act to remember, so now... time to show them how the stars really shine!" She announced.

" **Combine: Shooting Star Nebula!** "

Tossing the Star Blaster into the air, she immediately jumped up and thrust the Star Buster through it, making them both glow as they combined into their Longinus form. The gun shifted as the blade grew a bit and stretched out by the end.

When the transformation was completed, the end result showed a longer sword with a blaster and scope attached to it.

"OK, I'm gonna say this right now... that is the coolest thing I've seen since we came here." Homura admitted, smiling.

Stella turned to her.

"I think my next action will immediately make it the second coolest." She declared.

" **Cosmic Shot!** "

Firing a few shots, the Youkai noticed many orbs of starlight form around them, not actually striking any of them. They immediately pushed it aside as they either rushed in or unleashed Senjutsu attacks from a distance.

" **Constellation Connector!** "

Lines immediately formed between each orb, which Stella immediately was pulled towards at sonic speeds. The Youkai within range were immediately struck hard.

Spinning around near the end, she twirled the Shooting Star Nebula before flipping it.

"Gunner Mode: Activate!" She announced, making the gun take more focus than the sword.

Immediately firing it, the Senjutsu blasts that rained through the air were immediately destroyed in a series of explosions filling the sky.

"Whoa... can't believe I'm saying this, but that was cooler." Homura breathed, her eyes shining.

"Stella may be odd, but we only give nicknames to Grigori agents that earn them." Yuuma replied.

Right as the Shooting Star of Grigori smiled to celebrate, she gasped as the Youkai she cut through got back up, growling angrily as they picked up their weapons.

"Man, these Youkai can take a hit!" She remarked.

Looking at the others, she made a thumb's up motion to them before moving it towards the building.

"I've got this, get inside and find the big honcho himself." Stella stated.

"Will you be alright by yourself?" Yuuma asked.

"Totally, and if I do need help? Just listen for the stars." She replied, ending it with a wink.

Back flipping away, the group rushed towards Nurarihyon's palace.

"Don't let them through!" A Kappa shouted.

"Sword Mode: Activate!" Stella announced, changing her Longinus back to the state focused on the sword.

They were immediately blocked off as she rushed at them and then parried their blows, quickly swinging at them. This gave the others a chance to get inside, but once they were in...

*"RUMBLE!"*

"Uh... guys, that's the floor making this sound, right?" Fubuki asked.

"Yes, so logically we're standing on a-" Dohnaseek confirmed.

The trap door he was about to mention quickly opened, causing everyone to fall as Gogmagog caught them with its body, using his size to keep them from falling... until something streaked by and sliced his arms off his shoulders.

"Are you kidding me!?" Mittelt screamed in anger.

Everyone screamed as they fell, with both of Gogmagog's arms following them as they hit a certain area, further scattering the group onto four parties that had many of Gogmagog's fragments joining them.

* * *

Issei and Kunou screamed as they were joined by Mittelt, soon falling into an underground passage with a bunch of Gogmagog's shards tied to one of its severed hands.

Once they were on the ground, they all got up.

"Are we all still alive?" The blonde Fallen asked, feeling her eyes spin in circles.

"Yeah, think we are... my god! Gogmagog!" Issei answered, looking at Lucifer's Pawn.

Kunou looked and gasped, holding up some of his shards.

"Great, Vali's father is going to kill us over this!" She whimpered, shivering a bit.

Mittelt looked at the sight, shaking her head.

"He won't kill us, just wait and watch." She sighed, making Kunou drop the shards she was holding.

Both were confused until they saw the shards move, recombining into Gogmagog's right hand.

"Eh!?" They exclaimed.

"Gogmagog's are very hard to permanently destroy because they can restore themselves as long as part of their body survives. Although going by this, the rest of its body is scattered with the others." Mittelt explained.

The hand moved its pointer finger into the air, which bent like a hatch to reveal an eye inside of it, and nodded to confirm this fact to the trio.

"Do you have a way to tell where the rest of you went and find the others?" Issei asked.

Gogmagog's signature sound answered, which Issei heard translate to his ears as a yes.

"Alright then, lead the way for us." He asked, stepping aside as he held his hand out.

The large hand immediately began moving with its other fingers and thumb, with Kunou getting back on Issei's back as they and Mittelt followed it.

* * *

Homura kept somersaulting with the rubble of Gogmagog's head, with Yuuma following her.

The Murakumo immediately flung itself out of its wielder's hand, with the blades splitting into eight to reveal Orochi manifesting as he hit the bottom first, then used himself to cushion the fall for the duo.

"Whoa, nice catch Orochi." Yuuma thanked, rubbing one of its heads.

"Don't touch me." He answered, looking away in embarrassment.

Gogmagog's pieces soon hit all of them, leaving them in a small gravel pile they popped out of.

"Ow..." The three groaned.

All three of them immediately fell over as Gogmagog's upper torso and head reformed, making the two girls blink in confusion.

"It seems the rest of your pieces ended up with the others. Bad news is that leaves you with a fraction of your power, though the good news is now we can use your missing pieces to find where they went." Orochi realized.

"That's right, his arms had been cut off him before we fell, and his legs must have been separated from him near the spot that got us separated." Homura realized, picking the Murakumo up.

"Only question is... how is Gogmagog going to move without his legs or arms?" Yuuma asked.

The huge golem immediately began hopping, managing to travel a good distance with each jump.

"Good, I don't have to lug his gigantic gut around." Orochi remarked.

Homura and the Fallen Princess quickly followed, struggling to not trip until they eventually just rode on its shoulders.

* * *

Fubuki's group was about to hit the ground, which had Kalawarner and Dohnaseek in it, making her panic a bit as she closed her eyes.

"Please give us a soft landing, please give us a soft landing!" She begged.

As her body flashed, the massive magical potential within her fired at the ground, turning itself into the form of a soft gelatin that cushioned their fall, making them all blink in surprise as they saw it slowly deflate.

"OK, that is probably one of the few times I've seen someone panicking end up as a good thing." Dohnaseek chuckled.

"What about Gogmagog's fragments? Did they make it with us?" Kalawarner asked.

Right as she said that, all of them heard said fragments dragging themselves back together to become Gogmagog's left arm, shifting into the same form as the right hand did.

"How did..." Fubuki asked.

"Gogmagogs can survive repair themselves as long as part of their body still exists. Although his other hand and body were likely separated with the others." Kalawarner explained.

"Ah, that explains why Lucifer has one as part of his peerage." she realized.

Looking around with its eye finger, the hand of Devil King's Pawn began to move.

"Did it sense the others?" Fubuki asked.

"If its other pieces did manage to reform and can keep moving with them? Yes." Dohnaseek confirmed.

With that, all of them followed Gogmagog's left hand.

* * *

The last group of Suzaku and Vali managed to avoid the hassle of their fall, the former using Zhuque to help her descend and the latter flapping her twelve wings. The pieces of Gogmagog's lower torso and legs soon landed before them.

"You alright?" The Devil Princess asked.

"Me and Zhuque both." Suzaku answered, rubbing the fiery bird's head.

Right at that moment, the Devil King's Pawn reformed its lower half.

"Do Gogmagog's legs have any methods of attacking besides kicking or a roundhouse?" The Himejima head asked.

Vali tapped her cheek for a moment.

"I might be wrong, but I think he can fire missiles from their sides and fire toes from his missiles... as in actual missile toes." She answered, chuckling at the last part.

"OK, that's actually a little funny." The Grigori Priestess giggled.

Putting itself back on its feet, they saw the legs of their massive friend get back on their feet.

"Gogmagog's systems have a protocol to have its broken pieces restore themselves whenever they get separated, so let's hope both arms and the head ended up with the others." Vali mentioned.

Suzaku nodded her head as the duo followed the legs running towards its other three pieces.

* * *

Back in Kyoto, while the Shinto Gods and the rest were setting up preparations, all of the Youkai were being alerted of the coming danger by an announcement from Yasaka.

"Master Nurarihyon has chosen to stand against us, believing he earned your right as leader. He will soon attack, and while a brave few have gone to fight against his forces and stop them, others may get through here." She warned.

"How soon is that, Lady Yasaka?" A Kitsune questioned.

"We don't know, but now that our allies have reached him, it will likely be no later than today." Yasaka answered.

This made everyone worried.

"As such, we need to prepare all civilians to evacuate to the Human Realm and prepare all fighters for battle, as the Youkai and possibly others on his side will likely not hesitate to strike down anyone in their way." She continued.

Hearing this, everyone immediately nodded and prepared themselves for the coming fight.

The scene quickly changed to the Shinto Deities' side of the preparations, where Kagutsuchi could be seen hammering a bunch of weapons in his forge as Tsukuyomi formed ground defenses, Susanoo the aerial defenses, and Amaterasu provided solar energy to power them all.

"Izanagi, we may need more than the Youkai to help us. Do you know of anyone else we could receive help from?" Lucifer asked.

"Already ahead of you Lucifer, or rather my oldest daughter is. She asked Uzume to go ask the ninjas and samurai allied to us for some aid." He replied, grabbing some talismans for anyone that would need them.

"Wait, there are Samurai and Ninja in the Supernatural? For how long!?" The Devil King asked.

"Since we called you on the day your daughter was born, and couldn't tell you about it because you said something about being unable to talk right now because you were about to become a dad?" Izanagi smirked.

The Maou of Pride blushed a bit before coughing a bit, looking to the side.

"W-well that's the greatest pride any man could have! That means it was a fair excuse at the time!" He answered.

"LUCIFER!"

Hearing the Devil Queen's screams, both of them immediately panicked before rushing forward.

"Sound the alarm! Someone's gotten into Takama-ga-Hara, and Lilith's been targeted." Izanagi screamed.

Izanami heard this and immediately made Youjutsu symbols, this immediately sounded the alarm as the small bit of Nurarihyon's army that had snuck in dropped any subtlety and rushed in.

"They're here, everyone to arms!" Shinri announced.

"For Kyoto!" The Youkai exclaimed, rushing ahead.

As everyone charged towards Nurarihyon's army, Shinri jumped into the air and began glowing a bright blue color.

" **Youkai Form: Engage!** "

He immediately assumed a form like his adoptive mother's, only with pale blue skin with black markings across them, light blue hair, and blue sclera with glowing red eyes. Although he wore modern clothing instead of kimono, it had glowing green features, and energy shaped like lightning was coming off his body.

"Who's that!?" An enemy Kitsune questioned.

"Been a while since I've used this, so let's get the rust off." He smiled, cracking his neck.

Shinri rushed ahead and met the enemy at that very instant, causing a huge explosion.

* * *

Inside of the Imperial Palace, the sight of Lilith covering her mouth in fear was seen as Eve was knocked back by a powerful attack, sending her flying near her with cuts all over her. The First Human woman struggled to get up, her cuts immediately healing.

"How annoying, you truly can regenerate from nearly anything because you consumed the Fruit of Life... I guess I'll just have to destroy you all at once." Her attacker stated.

Stomping into view was revealed to be none other than a Nue with a mutated blackened appearance, releasing a gray mist from the sides of its mouth. It immediately released a powerful cyclone breathe from its mouth.

"Eve, watch out!" Lilith screamed.

"Don't worry, I've got this!" She replied, holding out her right hand as it glowed.

Colorful spheres fired out, pushing themselves against the powerful wind attack.

"Is that all!?" The Nue questioned.

The savage Youkai opened its mouth wider before unleashing a mighty roar, blasting out an even stronger tornado from its mouth. Eve struggled with holding it back she can before her attack was overpowered, making her leap to move Lilith out of harm's way.

All of the spheres went flying everywhere, though four in particular managed to bounce around until they reached the room where the black ooze was kept, striking the ooze as their bottles crashed on the ground.

"Now, time for you to-" The Nue laughed.

The Youkai was immediately flung across the area as a giant Hinotama smashed into him, showing Izanagi had fired it. Lucifer immediately rushed up to his wife and hugged her close.

"I'm so glad you're alright. Though to be sure, that beast didn't hurt you at all?" He asked.

"Not a bit, thanks to Eve taking all the hits for me." She smiled, looking at her sister figure.

Blushing a bit at the praise, the First Human woman giggled a bit.

"Uh... Lucifer, we may have a problem." Izanagi warned, tapping his shoulder and pointing the way they just came from.

He turned to see a bunch of Nurarihyon allied Nue, all of them charging their way.

"Eve, get Lilith back to the Human side of Kyoto right now, they're already attacking us!" Lucifer warned.

She nodded her head, taking the Devil Queen's hand.

"This is the one part of being pregnant I hate, it makes me a sitting duck because I can't endanger the baby." She sighed, looking at the ground.

"Hopefully, this is the last battle you'll have to be in while you're still pregnant." Eve hoped.

Forming a magic circle, she and Lilith walked through it to safety, leaving the two men to deal with the coming Youkai surrounding them.

"Promise you won't damage our home too much?" Izanagi asked.

The Devil King chuckled at that, throwing a fist forward to knock a few Nue back with a small twilight blast.

"Are you implying that I'm that destructive?" Lucifer questioned.

"Uh... well..." The Shinto God stuttered, sweating nervously.

Right as this was said, four bright lights flew right past the duo, surprising them as they knocked down all of the Youkai in their path. Both of them looked at each other in confusion.

"Was that something of yours we just saw?" Lucifer asked.

"No, it wasn't. Though it did look like it come from the room where we were keeping that black ooze contained." Izanagi answered, noticing where they had come from.

Hearing that detail, the Devil King's eyes immediately widened.

"The ooze!" He exclaimed.

Rushing over there at top speed, the Shinto God of Life was caught off-guard, but quickly had his focus forced back to the Youkai storming through the halls.

Upon getting inside, he saw the broken glass without any traces of the black ooze aside from a few drops.

"Of course, now I remember what that ooze was! I feel so stupid!" The Devil King groaned, face palming.

"Lucifer, get back here and help me already!" Izanagi screamed.

Hearing that, the Maou blushed in embarrassment before rushing back, joined by Izanami (in her Youkai Form) as they stood side by side.

"Sorry for that delay, now let's clean this place of this invaders." He apologized.

"Right, on three!" Izanami replied.

All of Nurarihyon's forces dashed towards them as they placed their hands on top of one another, unleashing a powerful burst of Magic, Senjutsu, and Youjutsu throughout the Imperial Palace.

* * *

Issei's group walked through the underground maze as they followed Gogmagog's right hand... only for something to roar as it smashed the limb of Devil King's Pawn into rubble, surprising them.

"W-what was that!?" Kunou asked, looking around.

 **["Someone's definitely here, but I'm unable to see them! It might be another Shadow Person!"]**  Ddraig warned.

Right on cue, the shadows motioned together as such a creature formed.

**「** **High School DxD HERO: Isshin Ittai** **」**

"Hello there, I've been waiting for this." They answered, glaring at Issei.

The group stared at him, noticing the incredible malice emanating from his body and face, despite having no idea who it was. All they knew is it wasn't, the same Shadow Person that possessed Raynare.

"Who are you?" Issei questioned.

"You may not know me, but you might recognize my older brother, Specter!" He answered.

"Totally saw that coming." Mittelt remarked, forming a light spear.

At that moment, he pulled out a flame that Ddraig recognized, making the Dragon's eyes widen.

 **["Issei, that's one of my flames! Be careful!"]**  He warned.

"My name is Shroud, and you'll pay for what you did to Specter! Prepare for your own flame to end your life!" Shroud roared, placing it into his chest.

The trio looked as he began doubling in size, transforming into a black Velociraptor that was on fire as his eyes sharpened. The group stared at this.

"What do you think? I felt your death should be karmic, so I asked Nurarihyon find a trace of the flames that broke his chains! Now, it's time I took care of business." He smirked, showing his new set of teeth.

Summoning the Boosted Gear, Issei immediately charged his power.

**["BOOST!"]**

"Mittelt, buy me some time to build up a charge!" He requested.

"On it!" She shouted.

Throwing her light spear, it simply passed through the Shadow Person's body as he laughed, making her eyes widen.

**["BOOST!"]**

"Fine, then try some of this!" Mittelt screamed, throwing her hands downwards.

Light orbs were shot through Shroud once again, but like before did nothing to him.

**["BOOST!"]**

"Is that all!?" He mocked, laughing at her.

"Take this!" Kunou shouted.

Shroud was pelted by her Fox Fire, but his flames simply ate it rather than going through him like Mittelt's attacks had. Ddraig raised an eye at this.

**["BOOST!"]**

"Alright, that should be plenty!" Issei exclaimed.

" **Meteor Shot!** "

Unleashing his signature attack at Shroud, the black monstrosity was hit... but simply chomped down on the attack, making it explode within him as he only burped out some steam.

"Spicy!" He smirked.

"Are you kidding me!?" Issei exclaimed, his eyes widening.

"My turn now!" Shroud exclaimed.

Rushing ahead, a bunch of shadow strings cut through the area, knocking all three back and constricting Gogmagog's body as it prepared to fire a laser barrage.

**「** **Insert Song End** **」**

"There's an idea, let your ally blast you to death!" He decided.

Pushing Issei into the wall and using the strings to bind him, Shroud's new tail sharpened into a blade as he slowly walked near him. The ancient machine's hand shook as it tried not to fire its lasers.

"If you keep still, then you'll get sliced. Though if you move? Then you'll get blasted. Tell me how you prefer to die!" Shroud inquired.

"Neither way!" Issei answered, moving his arm a bit.

"Blast it is!" The Shadow Person smirked.

Tightening the strings, Gogmagog's lasers fired at Issei... only for him to focus his expression as he was covered in Touki, causing him to tank the attack and escape the strings.

"What!? You cheater!" Shroud exclaimed.

Somersaulting across the ground, he lunged towards the Shadow Person and tried to punch him with a few martial art techniques, only to hit nothing as phased through him.

"My flames hit his brother, so what's up with this guy!?" He questioned.

 **["Issei, notice how Kunou's attack didn't go through him like the others and how he ate your Meteor Shot before it got too big? I think that's it!"]**  Ddraig responded.

Looking confused, the Welsh Dragon cleared his throat in response.

 **["Shadow People are weaker against energy attacks because they're made of exactly what their name implies, so eating some of my fire must have changed that weakness into other fires. The same concept as a backfire."]**  He clarified.

"One fire can snuff another out!" Issei realized.

 **["You just need a bigger fire, and one that he can't prevent from being at full strength! Keep boosting and survive!"]**  Ddraig shouted.

Shroud's eyes widened as his flaming spins bent forward and expelled jets of flame at the Boosted Gear wielder.

"That's my way of assuming you hit the nail!?" He inquired.

 **["Most likely!"]**  Ddraig assumed.

Shroud prepared another wave of attacks, but Kunou's fox fire hit him again, getting his attention.

"Little brat! Just die!" He roared, turning at her.

Firing the next wave at her, Gogmagog's hand dropped down and took the attack, then opened its fingers as Mittelt threw light daggers at him.

"Aren't you forgetting that doesn't work... wait, what the!?" Shroud replied, quickly noticing a problem.

Despite he wasn't taking damage, his body was unable to move as his shadows pulled back from every light dagger passing through him.

"Maybe they don't hurt you, but they sure can keep you still if I throw them faster than you can pull your body back together." Mittelt laughed.

"Hurry Issei!" Kunou exclaimed.

Nodding his head, the host of Ddraig put himself in a meditative stance to focus his energy.

**["BOOST!"]**

Kunou unleashed another pair of Fox Fires at Shroud, making him unsteady.

**["BOOST!"]**

Mittelt kept throwing, but it was clear she was starting to exhaust herself with how many light daggers she was creating.

**["BOOST!"]**

Finally, the youngest of Yuuma's group hit her limit and fell to her knees, panting for air to keep herself conscious.

"Weakling." Shroud chuckled, finally regaining movement.

"Hey dinosaur rip off!" Issei exclaimed.

Turning around, he saw the son of Eve hold out his hands, forming Ddraig's flame in his right and a Senjutsu hinotama in the left before smashing them into one form.

"Let's see how you can handle this!" He exclaimed.

**["TRANSFER!"]**

A green glow enveloped the half red and half blue flame before he smashed it into the ground.

" **Spirit Flare!** "

Before he could even realize, prepare, or even simply react to the attack... the entire floor was set flame! Mittelt pulled Kunou into the air while Gogmagog's right hand didn't move due to protection it was made with.

Shroud on the other hand was in pain as the flames on the ground began clashing with his own, making him twitch around as he felt himself weakened by the stronger flames consuming those on his body.

"No, my power! How dare you!" He screamed in anger.

He immediately charged at Issei, who unleashed more fire at him from his right hand... which still didn't keep him down.

 **["Push it Issei!"]**  Ddraig exclaimed.

"I'm... trying!" He answered, sweating as he tried to boost his firepower further.

Shroud laughed as his enemy's attempts to finish him didn't go as he had hoped.

* * *

As Homura's group followed the hoping upper torso of Gogmagog through the tunnels, a loud sound escaped its mouth before falling on its back.

"Gogmagog?" Yuuma panicked.

"Who's there!?" Orochi hissed.

Stomping heavily and making a small tremor within their small area, the duo fell over as they saw none other than Rinsa walk into view, axe in hand as he stared them down.

"An Oni!" Homura exclaimed.

Raising his axe, Rinsa poured power into it and made the blade area turn a pinkish-red color.

"Prepare to die!" He screamed.

"I hate these things!" Orochi shouted, looking at Homura.

She nodded and tossed him forward, letting his heads wrap around the axe and then use his hilt as a base. Rinsa was surprised at this before the Murakumo pushed him back and jumped back into the redhead's hands.

"Yuuma, grab on!" She warned.

"Oh god, really!?" The Fallen Angel replied, immediately knowing what that meant.

Grabbing tightly, Homura swung down and unleashed powerful winds at Rinsa.

"Not so fast!" The Oni replied.

Reaching out his hand, he actually grabbed the stormy winds and held them in place, making both the group gasp at the sight.

"Gogmagog, please help us!" Homura begged.

Unfortunately for them, Lucifer's Pawn couldn't get up or raise his head enough to fire lasers from his eyes, leaving the big machine a sitting duck.

"Uh oh..." Yuuma gulped, shaking a bit.

"Feel the power of rage!" Rinsa roared.

Swinging his axe down once more, a powerful red wave struck the two and flung them back, also creating a huge chasm in part of the floor behind where they landed, Gogmagog was also shattered again with his still unbroken head landing by the duo.

"That Oni... it has a Trihexa Fragment's power..." Orochi coughed.

Rinsa laughed cruelly as he walked up to Yuuma, and squeezed her tightly, making her briefly scream at the sudden pain.

"Hold on, your Azazel's younger daughter! Then it only makes sense that you're the first one I kill!" He stated, readying his axe.

Widening her eyes, the middle Hyoudou sibling tried to move and stop it.

"Back off you rotted tomato!" Orochi hissed, slithering towards him.

Seeing the Murakumo move near him, Rinsa's eyes glowed brightly in rage, looking at the Dragon/Sword hybrid with pure fury.

"Filthy Dragon, you can't say that to me! Let's see if being a stupid sword means you can never resurrect!" He screamed, swinging down.

The energy wave aimed at the Evil Dragon, who immediately realized he couldn't move.

'My body... what's happening!?' He thought, shaking in fear.

"You lose!' Rinsa screamed.

As he saw the axe coming down on him and unleash the energy wave, a sudden interruption came in the form of Homura managing to find the strength to move, and as a result... intercept the attack as it struck her back hard.

She screamed from the intense pain, being flung along with the unharmed Murakumo into the chasm.

"Homura, no!" Yuuma screamed.

The Fallen Princess could do nothing as Homura hit the bottom, with her sword landing by her side as the blade became Orochi stared at the crazy action she just did.

"You moron, why'd you do that!? Being struck where you were has to be a fatal blow! There's no telling how much longer you'll last for!" He hissed angrily, almost screaming.

"Do you... not get it?" She asked, smiling at him.

He froze at that, an image of a familiar face appearing before him... the same face of the one friend he tried to save among the eight during the Great War, and the only one who left with parting words.

_"I'm so glad... that you were my friend... until the very end." She apologized, crying with a smile on her face._

Orochi kept staring as tears left Homura's eyes, and the echoes quickly made his iron body start to tremble.

"You told me to... prove myself, didn't you? I guess in the end... I took too big of a risk." She answered, trying to breathe best she could.

"No... please, don't... not you too." He begged.

"I'm going to make so many people sad because of that. My little sister, my big brother, my father, especially my mother... but it seems now I'm also making you cry. Just promise me... you'll make it out and tell them I kept everyone safe." She asked, feeling her eyes close.

Being reminded of that scene he hated so much, Orochi screamed loudly before a black aura shot out of his body.

"No, this time I'm not letting a friend die! You won't leave this world... Homura!" The Dragon screamed.

As she heard this, Yuuma gripped her fists, giving Rinsa an angry look as her eyes dilated enough the Oni briefly flinched at the sight of them.

"Raynare... the strong one has always been me, that's what you told me... right? If that's really true, then right now..." She said to herself.

"What are you blabbering-" Rinsa questioned, raising an eye.

He was immediately silenced as a giant light spear bigger than anything she had every formed before fired out of Yuuma's hands, the sight of her eyes now burning with a new passion she had never shown before forming within them.

"I'll use that strength, because I don't want to lose anyone!" She screamed, tears flowing from her eyes.

Picking up Gogmagog's head, she shook it as his eyes fired out lasers in rapid fire, smashing into Rinsa faster than he could react. Then she tossed it forward, causing the machine's signature sound to go wild before it exploded, with his reformed torso using nearby materials to reform it.

Screaming loudly, she spun around and threw another two light spears, then used both hands to fire off a lance of light at the scarlet-colored Oni's form. Rinsa roared as all three hit him dead on and left searing burn marks.

"You became good just because I killed your friend!? That's pathetic!" He growled.

"I bet that's because you have no will of your own to fight for!" Yuuma retorted.

Throwing another two forward, Rinsa broke his axe apart into two halves and spun them to defend, soon rushing ahead and smashed the Fallen Angel into the ground with them. She struggled to get up, right as he charged both for another wave attack.

"Homura, don't worry... I'm not giving up!" Yuuma promised.

* * *

Vali and Suzaku were walking around their area with Gogmagog's legs, when they suddenly stopped and began jogging in place while facing their direction.

"Is something wrong?" The Himejima head asked.

"Yeah, it looks like there's trouble and he can only tell us by moving like he's panicking." Vali confirmed.

"Guess sneaking failed." A male voice growled.

Turning around, the duo looked to see the blue Oni known as Azoilus walked into view, pounding his hammer into his hand as he walked ever closer.

 **("Be on guard Vali, the power of a Trihexa Fragment flows in him.")**  Albion warned.

"Having that power in an Oni makes it even more dangerous as well..." Suzaku mentioned.

Looking at the duo, he recognized Vali.

"Ah, so the Princess of the Devils has graced us, that silvery-white hair of yours is a dead giveaway." He remarked, looking interested.

"If you know who I am, does that mean you'll just walk away? I think you've had to heard of my other gift besides my heritage." Vali asked, grinning a little.

"You honestly believe I'd run? You should be the one who flees, as I will spare you for that choice." Azoilus mocked.

Suzaku laughed at that, holding out Zhuque.

"This guy has way too much confident in himself, so how about we see if it's justified?" She asked.

"Gladly." Vali agreed.

Immediately assuming her Holy Beast form, Suzaku and the Devil Princess immediately rushed ahead as the Blue Oni sped out of view.

"He's fast... can your avian eyes spot him?" Vali asked.

"Yeah, but not enough to predict what he's doing." The Himejima Head answered.

The Devil Princess sweated at that.

'My Lightspeed ability won't help in this situation either, not when he can move freely compared to my single direction.' She thought.

Suzaku immediately covered Vali as Azoilus' hammer aimed her way, making her grunt a bit.

"He's targeting you first!" She shouted.

"And I'm not going to be able to take that hammer like your Holy Beast form if he hits me." Vali mentioned, sweating a bit.

 **("But he might not be able to either.")**  Albion mentioned.

The Lucifer Heiress looked confused by her partner's words.

 **("I'll help you out, but let him attack you without giving away you want him to.")**  She advised.

"Not sure what you're planning, but let's try it." Vali replied.

Listening close, Suzaku immediately faked being knocked to the side as Azoilus' hammer struck her again, making the Princess of Hell gasp as the Oni swung his hammer at her immediately after.

**("REFLECT!)**

A barrier formed in front of Vali at the spot she was being attacked, making the blue Oni's eyes widen as he felt his own attack push back at him.

"No, resist it! Resist!" He demanded.

 **("Sorry, but you can't stop it! Now eat your own power!")**  Albion exclaimed.

The barrier bounced the attack back, sending him flying.

'Got you!' Suzaku thought, her eye flashing.

Dashing at Azoilus, the Head of the Himejima Clan immediately spread her wings and passed by his legs, making him roar in pain as they took a hit.

"What did you just do?" Vali asked.

 **("One of my other powers besides my signature Divide ability. It allows you to bounce an attack back at the caster, but only if you see it coming and it lacks a property that can pierce through defenses.")**  The White Dragoness answered.

The Devil Princess whistled in response.

 **("You'll still need to develop my powers more before you can naturally use it, so consider that a freebie for now. You're not going to get any stronger if I have to save you during every situation.")**  Albion warned.

Vali nodded at that, looking at Azoilus as he got back up and rushed at her again, but now at a speed where he was fast... yet fully visible.

"No worries, that one time was helpful enough." She reassured her partner.

" **Lightspeed!** "

The Heiress of Lucifer charged right into him, pushing both of them back before Suzaku unleashed a wave of Senjutsu flames from her mouth. The blue Oni raised his hammer as a shield against it.

" **Shaking Terror!** "

He threw his weapon onto the ground, making a heavy shaking as the ceiling began collapsing on them.

"Look out!" Suzaku shouted.

"Crap!" Vali exclaimed.

Both of them covered their heads as the pile of rocks started to pile over them, forcing Gogmagog's legs to be their cover before they were all buried under it.

* * *

Looking through cave system they were in, Fubuki noticed something about the rocks.

"Wait just a moment, something's off." She stated.

"Uh... clarify that a little for us?" Dohnaseek asked.

Placing her hands on the wall, the youngest Hyoudou sibling tried to sense for something, taking a deep breath as she focused.

It took a moment before she noticed it.

"Oh no, this is... Gogmagog!" She exclaimed, turning to the left hand.

Lucifer's Pawn froze and turned to her.

"Can your sensors be messed up by magnetism, at least while your body is separated?" Fubuki asked.

The machine's signature noise replied, confirming being split in pieces would allow this to be possible.

"Just like I thought... these caves are full of lodestone." She sighed.

Kalawarner and Dohnaseek's eyes widened at that before they got close, with the former stabbing a piece off to get a better look... and she saw it.

"It is... that means the pieces of Gogmagog are all following disrupted readings and could end up leading us all endlessly." She confirmed.

"How do we find the others then?" He asked.

Fubuki thought for a moment, trying to find a solution... then gasped as she thought of one.

"We don't have it search for the other pieces, but the others who are with them!" She realized.

Both of the Fallen Angels showed confusion, until it hit them.

"Of course, it can't disrupt Magic, Chi, or Prana! We can track them through their own power!" Dohnaseek exclaimed, looking excited.

"Fubuki, you're smarter than you probably even realize." Kalawarner praised.

She blushed at the Ace of Diamond's compliment, rubbing the back of her head.

"Blagh! Gag me!"

Everyone jumped as a loud club smashed onto the ground, showing Virden stomping into view, chuckling heavily as he stared at the group.

"A-a-a-a-a... an Oni..." Fubuki whimpered, backing up slightly.

"Ooh! I love the scaredy cats, because they're always gonna panic and scream from what I do!" He laughed.

"Well don't laugh long, we already know about your magnetite trick." Kalawarner warned.

The green Oni's eyes widened at that.

"Are you kidding me? You're making my awesome genius look like the stupidest of all morons!' He roared, almost whining.

Silence followed as a cricket was heard chirping, sitting right on Gogmagog's one finger.

"Yeah... I don't think our involvement was needed for that, right girls?" Dohnaseek remarked, looking at them.

Both of them nodded in response.

"I'll just break you now!" Virden roared, raising his club.

"Get ready, it's fighting time." Kalawarner stated.

The two Fallen formed light swords and rushed at the Oni while he was still raging and slashed at him... only for their blades to break upon hitting him.

"Uh oh..." Dohnaseek gulped.

"Of course he's hard headed, he's already just as solid everywhere else." Kalawarner said, giving a deadpan look.

Virden roared and swung his club at them, but it still hit Dohnaseek as it doubled in length at the opposing end.

"Are you alright!?" Fubuki asked.

He didn't move, making her check his pulse... which he luckily still had.

"Good news? You're alive! Bad news... you fell unconscious in the worst place you could!" She squeaked.

"Hah! The scaredy cat is now a kitty!" Virden laughed.

Kalawarner gagged at that, finding his speech more painful than the appearance of his club.

"Ugh, please just stop!" She begged.

"I will not be nice!" Virden roared.

He swung his club at that moment, immediately hitting her into the wall and knocking her out as well.

"This is bad..." Fubuki gulped.

Gogmagog's arm immediately lunged and opened its other fingers to drop a few bombs, but Virden hit them back like baseballs. The Pawn of the Devil King's hand immediately fell back in pieces, making Fubuki walk backwards as the Oni stomped near her.

"Maybe I should eat you?" He wondered, chuckling a bit.

"Y-you Oni don't eat Humans, do you?" She asked worriedly.

"How do you know I'm not an exception?" Virden questioned, giving a terrifying grin as he licked his fangs.

She immediately backed away, her fears taking over any bravery she had.

* * *

Back in the Youkai Realm, the sight of Shinri blazing through the army of Nurarihyon's Youkai could be seen, looking a bit sweaty.

"Gotta say, this guy did a good job on readying an army for people or our level..." He admitted.

Wiping his brow, he immediately widened his eyes as his ear picked up on something, making him back flip out of the way as he dodged a few spheres of Senjutsu dropping down at the spot he was in seconds ago.

"Fumes are all you've got left, so just give it up." A Kitsune Youkai smirked.

"But we don't!" Many voices echoed.

Hearing that, the enemy Youkai all turned to see Uzume appear in a magic circle, revealing her as slightly pudgy Goddess with orange-blonde hair and closed eyes.

"Forgive the delay Shinri, but I've brought our reinforcements." She smiled.

Right at that moment, more magic circles appeared on the ground and air, with Samurai appearing from the former and Ninjas from the latter.

"Ninja and Samurai? That's not fair!" The Kitsune screamed.

"For Kyoto!" They cheered.

All of the Ninja disappeared and attacked the flying and long-range Youkai with their speed and techniques, while the Samurai all instantly moved through and slashed across the Youkai with weapons, dealing a major blow as the Youkai who were physical fighters backed off in fear.

"I don't know why you're attacking us, and I don't care quite frankly, but the one thing you should know? The kind of destruction you are causing has no excuses behind it. As a result of that, know it is enough we could  _never_  accept Nurarihyon as the Youkai Leader!" She stated, her closed eyes moving into an angry shape.

Placing her hands together, she pushed them out and hit them all with bright light, knocking them back as it trapped them inside rings of light.

"Smooth as ever." Shinri praised.

"You think so? I've always been worried how that comes off due to my pudginess." Uzume inquired.

"I mean it, and doesn't Amaterasu say it's your charm point?" He recalled.

She giggled at that, right as they saw more Youkai charging towards them.

"Let's finish this reunion later, right now we have a battle to finish up." Shinri stated, cracking his knuckles.

"Yes, let's continue punishing these misfits." Uzume agreed.

Both of them ran ahead to continue the fight, with Nurarihyon's Army raising their weapons in response.

* * *

Panting a bit, Stella took a moment to catch her breath as all of the enemy Youkai on the surface were downed, but another group was walking into view.

"The others should have dealt with a few, why are there so many?" She asked.

"Destroy the Longinus wielder!" A Tenguu shouted, holding his spear in the air.

All of them charged at Stella as she prepared herself for the worst... only for the four spheres from earlier to suddenly rush in and smashed them down, while also causing the entire building to collapse on itself.

In response to that, Master Nurarihyon himself jumped out, growling as he looked at her.

"You alone fought off my army and destroyed my entire home!?" The Youkai Master questioned angrily.

"Uh... no, just the initial wave. Some weird lights did the rest." Stella replied.

He raised an eye at that, while she shrugged in response.

"Don't ask me, I barely saw them myself!" She stated, throwing her hands up in the air.

Shaking his head, the Youkai master immediately tapped his foot to create a Youjutsu field.

"No matter. For even standing against me, you will be destroyed and made an example of for everyone that defies me as the true Youkai Leader!" He shouted.

"Alright, if you're asking for a fight? Then let's dance." Stella answered.

Nurarihyon charged at her, while she immediately flipped the Shooting Star Nebula in her hand.

" **Balance Breaker!** "

Her Longinus unleashed a powerful flash at that moment.

* * *

After a long series of fights, most of the Youkai on Nurarihyon's side were defeated, with the various Shinto deities making sure they were contained and unable to fight back.

"Phew... that was a long battle, but we won." Susanoo chuckled.

"We've definitely got a lot of people injured, but Eve's healing powers made sure we had no casualties." Kagutsuchi smiled.

Both of them looked as they saw her heal the last with such a risk.

Lucifer, Lilith and the other Shinto Gods all joined at that moment.

"Now that we've fended them off, a few of us should be able to go and help my daughter and Yuuma's groups." The Devil King decided.

"Yeah, think you and I can afford to go help them." Shinri agreed, still in his Youkai Form.

He created a magic circle and then walked into it, only for it to shatter, confusing everyone.

"What just happened!?" Lucifer questioned.

At that moment, a magic circle appeared by Izanagi's ear, making him raise an eyebrow before he gasped in horror.

"Uh... Izanagi, what's happening?" He asked.

"The Torii gates linked to the Youkai realm... all of them were just destroyed and their connection severed!" Izanagi announced.

Everyone gasped at that.

"How is that possible?" Lilith asked, suddenly terrified.

"I bet the children attacked before they made it here, so Nurarihyon must be trying to make sure we have a victory at a price and sent some of his army to damage the gates." Izanami theorized.

"We do have a method to restore the link while the torii get repaired, but it takes about 15 to 20 minutes for it to work. We may run out of time by then..." Amaterasu stated.

At that moment, everyone looked at each other as they realized what that might mean for the children.

"We have no way to help them..." The Devil Queen realized.

However, right as she said this? Lucifer's eyes widened.

"No, someone is coming to help them! Me and Izanagi saw them ourselves!" He stated.

"Eh?" Izanagi blinked.

"That black sludge... I remembered what it was after seeing it all disappeared after those lights flew past us... that's the primordial ooze that Lilith used to make the other Devils before losing the power in the Great War!" Lucifer explained.

Lilith gasped as she remembered.

"I'm confused on how that helps... us..." Eve questioned.

At that moment, she remembered her attack scattering.

"Wait, the lights you saw? What colors were they?" The First Human questioned, looking hopeful.

"They were... green, red, blue, and yellow?" He replied.

Eve gasped at that, soon flashing a smile.

"Nurarihyon, you made a big mistake in letting any of your army attack me and Lilith." She stated.

* * *

Issei was being held in the air by Shroud, with Mittelt and Kunou being completely blocked off from reaching him due to the flames. Similar situations were happening with the others at this occurred.

"So, any last words?" The Shadow Person asked, giving a savage grin.

"Y-you'll never win... never..." He answered, glaring at his opponent.

Hearing what he was sure would be Issei's last words, he laughed a bit and then slammed Issei into the ground.

"Too bad, I've already won-" Shroud exclaimed.

At that moment, and simultaneously with the other big shots of Nurarihyon's forces, a ball of light slammed into them. The green one being the one that hit Shroud dead center.

Screaming in pain as he tumbled into the wall, he got up and saw the orb of light.

"What kind of trick is this!?" Shroud questioned, both very confused and annoyed.

"I think we'd like to know too." Mittelt asked.

Kunou nodded her head, having a similar thought running through her head... though it was quickly answered as the light suddenly took shape into something else. By the time it was finished, Issei's eyes had widened in shock.

Before him stood a girl that was around his age. She had long jade-green hair and eyes of the same color, a gifted figure not unlike Vali's, and a cheerful and innocent expression on her face.

"Who are you?" He asked, pointing at her.

She hummed for a bit, not sure she had one... but smiled again as one came to her. A name that was almost encoded into her DNA at birth.

"Just call me Verrine." She answered, winking at him.

* * *

**That's right! Most of my veteran readers may remember this from the end of the original, but those four vials had the essence of Verrine and another three Devils you should already know the identities of by her presence alone. They couldn't have chosen a better time to appear with how much trouble our heroes had been in, especially with Homura's current status.**

**And we've gotten the reveal of Lucifer's power, which is the Sacred Gear Canceller that we all know from Rizevim's arsenal. While we never learned how it existed in canon, this version was born when the True Longinus' pre-Sacred Gear form struck his newly born Devil body, causing him to develop an immunity to Sacred Gears before they were made because he eventually transformed it into the very first.**

**Best of all is that Master Nurarihyon's weaker forces have been completely defeated, but now he and his strongest Youkai, sans Shroud who's not one yet still powerful in his current state, are all that's left before the battle is finally over. I won't go into detail on how much stronger he is compared to his generals, but the inclusion of Verrine and her brothers will only help them slightly.**

**Until next time everyone, and stay awesome! ^^**


	15. Chapter 15

**Last chapter definitely got explosive, and this chapter's not going to be any less with the biggest battles finally getting their conclusion. Shroud and the three Oni are still kicking alongside Master Nurarihyon, with Stella on fumes and Homura in a very dangerous spot that Orochi's hoping he can do something about. As of right now, things are pretty dire for our main cast and all of their friends.**

**However, they also have a blessing in disguise, as while some of the Youkai had been ordered to make sure that none of the Shinto Gods or the heroes' parents would be able to help them, a little hiccup in their plan came in the form of attacking Eve and Lilith in the worst place possible. Thanks to that, one of Eve's attacks was reflected and gave birth to Verrine and her three brothers, who all got through before getting locked in.**

**Now, unlike their canon counterparts, they aren't as ridiculously powerful... as of right now. I can't really say much more because of spoilers to what their role in this story will be, aside from how you'll get the answers before the Kyoto arc ends, since there's a bit more to take care of. Either way, the four of them will be finishing the fight alongside our heroes.**

**All that's left now is to say... time for our heroes to finish this fight!**

* * *

**()**  - Albion Talking via the Divine Dividing

 **[]**  - Ddraig Talking via the Boosted Gear

 **«»**  - Consciousness of any other Sacred Gear Talking

 **〖〗**  - Voice Speaking through a Magic Circle

 **【】**  - Voice made by an Announcement or through an Announcer

 **「」**  - Insert Song Beginning or Ending

『』 - Electrical Voice or Machine Speaking

* * *

**_Chapter 15 - Evil Spirits, Part 2_ **

Virden held his chest in pain, looking at yellow light before him as it transformed into a humanoid form.

It soon became a boy around Fubuki's age, having golden-blonde hair at slightly below shoulder length with hazel eyes, but the moment he looked at the green Oni before him... he suddenly gained a fairly timid, maybe outright frightened look on his face.

"M-my face! Don't look at my face!" He panicked.

Fubuki and Virden looked confused as a bunch of metaphorical question marks appeared over each of their heads.

Looking around in a panic, he quickly pulled a paper bag with eye holes out of nowhere before using it like a mask.

"Ah... that's better." He sighed in relief, placing it on his head.

The youngest Hyoudou Sibling was unable to process what she saw, instead deciding to distract herself by doing the most obvious thing in response to his sudden appearance.

"E-excuse me, what's your name?" She asked.

"I'm not sure... oh! It's Gressil, at least I think it is." He answered, looking at the Oni.

Virden growled a bit, smashing his club down.

"Stop being a mockery at me! For your insulting, I shall destroy you!" He roared.

Gressil looked at Fubuki.

"Uh... think you're willing to fight with me?" He questioned.

"I'm afraid... he's hurt everyone else, and... I don't think I can do anything." She replied softly, noticing Gogmagog's left hand was struggling to repair itself.

Putting his hand on hers, she looked at him through his bag's eye holes.

"Me too, but if we do nothing, then our friends will be in danger. Do you want to be afraid and do nothing while they're guaranteed to be hurt, or be afraid and do something to help them?" She asked.

Fubuki's eyes dilated briefly at that, looking at the downed forms of Kalawarner and Dohnaseek.

'That's right, all I've been doing this is... nothing. Nothing!' She realized.

She gripped his hand in return, managing to find her bravery and stand on her feet. Gressil smiled underneath his paper bag as Virden growled a bit.

"I will end you beyond all ends!" The Oni roared.

Charging at the duo, they both readied themselves for the battle ahead of them.

* * *

Rinsa nearly fell over as the blue light bounced around, eventually transforming itself into the form of a boy around Homura's age.

Like with Gressil, his hair was a bit above shoulder length, only slightly shorter and a little messier and being sky blue. His eyes were also a dark cobalt shade and he had a lean body that seemed to represent the speed of his jumpiness.

"What the? How did you? Uh... just who are you!?" Yuuma stuttered, feeling her brain doing cartwheels.

The boy smiled and back flipped by her.

"Not sure how I know this, but I'm pretty sure my name's Sonneillon." He revealed, smiling at her.

"Pretty sure!?" Yuuma repeated.

The red Oni before them smashed his axes down, causing the both of them to turn... right before the blue-haired boy managed to speed around the attack and move both Gogmagog and Yuuma to another spot.

"What!?" Rinsa gasped, surprised by the speed.

Yuuma's jaw dropped as he pointed at Sonneillon, who gave a playful chuckle before shrugging her arms.

"Just naturally fast I suppose." He answered.

"Not fast enough for this!" Rinsa roared.

The entire cave area was covered in a powerful red energy burst, leaving them all defenseless without any way of Sonneillon's speed saving them again.

"I don't think so, now taste this!" A female voice shouted.

Yuuma's eyes widened at that, looking behind her as eight head made of energy sliced through the attack and bit onto Rinsa's body. The red Oni screamed in pain as his pressure points were struck.

"No, this is... this is impossible!" He screamed, feeling them burning like they were on fire.

Pulling back, the energy turned into extended metal sections of eight blades that became a familiar sword, revealing an alive and healed Homura wielding the Murakumo.

"Sorry, did you miss us?" She smiled, holding a hand up.

"Take that!" Orochi laughed, giving a smug glare at Rinsa.

Yuuma started to sniffle a bit, shedding happy tears as she saw her friend was alive, ignoring what happened to her hair.

"Homura, you're alive!" She cried in joy.

"You can thank Orochi for that. Since my injury had been where Rinsa struck me, all he had to do was pour in his power to help my body recover in time." The Middle Hyoudou child explained.

Upon hearing that, she pointed at Murakumo as that could only mean one thing.

"That's right, we're partners now. She risked her life for me as I once did for a friend I failed to save... and now I've finally redeemed myself." The Dragon confirmed.

Sonneillon gave a playful laugh before hugging the two.

"Now that's what I call a great resolution of redemption!" He stated, smiling at them both.

Homura looked at Yuuma, who shrugged in response.

"Give us the full details later, let's make this Oni pay!" Orochi exclaimed.

"Don't have to tell me twice!" Homura exclaimed.

The trio rushed in, which was quickly followed by Rinsa unleashing a loud scream and charging at them.

* * *

Azoilus was knocked back and stumbled across the ground, leaving him struggling to get up as he looked at the red light, which immediately turned into a boy looking to be around Vali and Verrine's ages.

He had copper-red hair and eyes, being incredibly muscular to the point he seemed a bit older, and having a fairly cold, almost emotionless expression on his face.

"You both alright?" The boy asked, looking at them.

"Thanks to you, but... who are you?" Suzaku asked.

Raising an eye as he thought, his name finally registered to him as he cracked his knuckles one at a time.

"Call me... Balberith." He answered.

Vali took a closer look at the mysterious ally before her, noticing something... familiar.

"How did you even reach this place!?" Azoilus questioned, getting back on his feet.

"Dunno, just did." Balberith shrugged.

The blue Oni raised an eye, though quickly shrugged it off as he charged towards the copper-red haired boy and swung his hammer, making him yawn as he swung his fist up.

Suzaku and Vali's eyes went white as it shattered into pieces, making them gasp loudly.

 **('He didn't even try with that punch! Just how did he manage to break such a durable hammer?')**  Albion questioned.

Azoilus' eyes shook before he gripped his fist.

"I have no idea how you did that, but I can assure you won't do it again!" He promised.

He grew many sharp fins across his body, all of them gleaming like sharp blades he likely intended to use them as. It was at that moment Vali jumped next to Balberith.

"Mind if we help you out?" She asked.

"Go ahead." He replied, looking bored.

At that moment, Azoilus charged towards the trio and roared.

* * *

Back with Issei, his group was looking at Verrine, blinking a bit.

 **["I'm officially lost..."]**  Ddraig stated.

"Considering that we just saw me saved by a glowing green light that turned into a girl my age? Who wouldn't feel that way?" He replied.

The Welsh Dragon had no way to answer against a question such as that, and gave a quick hum of agreement.

"I was just born." Verrine giggled.

Even Shroud went silent at that.

"Mittelt, do you know what that girl's talking about?" Kunou asked.

"I'm not sure I can answer that..." Mittelt mentioned, blinking a bit.

Ddraig blinked a bit.

 **['Either this girl is being completely serious, playing with us, or bumped her head really hard.']**  He thought, unable to find an answer to her odd reply.

After letting his mind reset from the oddity, Shroud glared at her.

"Whatever nonsense you're spouting, I'll just destroy you along with everyone else here!" He declared.

He immediately charged at her...

Only to end up on the ceiling as Verrine unleashed a magic blast that sent him flying.

"No way!" Issei exclaimed.

'So... fast!' Shroud thought.

Mittelt and Kunou were just as flabbergasted, watching his injured form fall to the ground.

"How dare you? I will destroy you!" He roared.

"This guy has some anger issues, did he never get a hug as a child?" Verrine wondered, rubbing the back of her head.

At that moment, Ddraig noticed Shroud was struggling to move.

 **["Issei, we need to end this battle now!"]**  Ddraig exclaimed.

"How can we do that? Every time we try something, he finds a way to tank it!" Issei questioned, unable to think of a more permanent solution.

 **["You're still not ready to use it yourself, but I might be able to push out one of my other abilities just this one time. Question is if you're daring enough to go for it."]**  The Red Dragon asked.

Giving his partner a smirk, the Welsh Dragon chuckled before focusing his gaze.

 **["That's right partner, even a fool can make the impossible become possible if they refuse to give up!"]**  Ddraig exclaimed.

"And sometimes you need to be a fool to do something genius." Issei replied.

Rushing ahead, the Shadow Person looked confused as he saw the reckless charge aimed his way.

'What's he doing!?' He questioned.

"This is it!" Issei exclaimed.

Slamming his fist forward, Shroud look confused at what he expected to be an attack that would just phase through him, sealing his fate.

**["PENETRATE!"]**

The punch hit Shroud right in the stomach, causing a small shock wave to push off his feet as he stood still for a moment. It was only a few seconds later he saw himself glowing and panicked at what it meant.

"No, this can't be happening!" He screeched, reaching out for Issei in vein.

At that moment, the host of Ddraig gave a smile of victory as he exploded.

"Yeah, we won!" Mittelt cheered.

"We actually made it through this battle in one piece... thank goodness." Kunou sighed, laying on the ground for a moment.

Issei soon walked up to Verrine, making her smile at him.

"Thanks for helping us out, but how did you get here in the first place?" He asked.

She giggled at that.

"Best answer I can give you? My brothers and I were all just pulled here, leading to the conversation we're having now." Verrine answered, closing her eyes as she smiled.

Mittelt noticed the mention of siblings.

"Wait, you mean there were other orbs of light with you?" She asked.

"Yeah, but we all went into separated directions." Verrine confirmed.

Issei's eyes widened.

"Then I bet all of them found the others, so if you can sense them... we can all regroup and escape!" He exclaimed.

"Good to hear, because I do know where to look." She replied.

Before Kunou could even react, the jade-haired girl picked her up like some kind of teddy bear and hugged her close.

"Follow me!" She cheered.

At that moment, the duo nearly fell as Verrine ran off, causing the Youkai Princess to scream as she flew through the air like a kite, screaming for dear life as she held on.

"H-hey, wait up!" Issei panicked, following her.

Mittelt and Gogmagog's right hand quickly followed Issei as they rushed after Kunou and their new yet odd friend.

* * *

Fubuki and Gressil both dodged around Virden's many attacks, roaring loudly as he slammed around the entire area like a mad dog, giving the jumpy duo little room to attack.

"We can't keep this up forever! If we do, he might cause a cave in that'll make everything collapse on us!" She stated.

"I might be able to stop him with a spell, but he's moving too fast to give me a chance! We need to slow him down!" Gressil replied, panting a bit.

Getting an idea, Fubuki turned around and put a hand on the ground.

"Hope you know how to ice skate." She apologized in advance.

Before he could fully show his confusion with the proper sound of it, Fubuki froze the ground where Virden was, making the green Oni yell as he fell on his back. This caused him to throw his club into the air, getting it stuck in the ceiling.

"Oh, that was a literal response." Gressil realized, chuckling awkwardly.

"Think you can make the shot now?" Fubuki questioned.

"Yeah, this is plenty of time." He nodded, forming a magic circle on his palm.

Right as he was doing that, Virden smirked and released an abnormal shriek.

While it seemed strange at first, this quickly had meaning when the bottom of his club extended out, opening the tip like a claw grabber to reveal some orb that released a powerful ripple that made Gressil's circle break.

"My magic... I can't feel my magic flowing!" He exclaimed, starting to panic.

"No way..." Fubuki gasped, seeing the machine.

The green Oni laughed as his anti-magic field was a success, stomping to ground himself on the icy floor.

"By using this magic wavelength in combination with this magnetite, my superior idea has exceeded all your efforts to wield magic! It's useless now, and I'll make you scaredy cats into useless kittens!" Virden exclaimed.

Opening his mouth, his armored skin unleashed a large green beam at the duo, making Gressil scream as Fubuki held him close and held a hand out in vein.

*"BOOM!"*

Laughing at the sight, Virden gave a smirk of victory.

"That's it for the two of you, and your friends are sure to... wait, what is this!?" He stated, raising an eye in confusion.

**「** **High School DxD HERO: Opening** **」**

Smoke from the impact cleared, which is when his eyes widened in disbelief.

Despite he had cut off their magic... Fubuki was creating a magic circle to shield them both from her hand, one that was holding against his attack no less!

"That's not possible! It's impossible for you to use magic right now, no... beyond impossible!" Virden screamed.

Opening her eyes, the youngest Hyoudou Sibling realized that she was forming a barrier, making her eyes widen.

"I'm protecting us... I'm protecting us!" Fubuki smiled.

"But how are you able to get around the anti-magic... wait, is it possible you aren't using magic? No... this must be something else!" Gressil realized.

"Huh?" She blinked.

Lowering his forehead onto hers, making Fubuki blush slightly, he tried to sense the essence of her magic. What he found made him gasp, as it was unlike anything he had ever seen in his brief life.

She had what seemed to be a heart that was half crystal, half organic... or rather, a heart that was partially made of crystallized magic!

"Your magic, it's actually merged with your heart and crystallized!" He exclaimed.

The white-haired Hyoudou sibling was confused by that, tilting her head to show it.

"Everyone's magic manifests inside of them as a small pool, but yours managed to somehow change entirely. The reason your magic wasn't negated is because it evolved!" Gressil explained.

Fubuki's eyes widened at that.

"A Human whose magic somehow crystallized!? How dare you mock me!" Virden exclaimed, rushing ahead.

Crashing through the icy floor with his stomps while grabbing his club, he roared loudly as he unleashed another beam from his mouth. Looking at the incoming attack, Fubuki unleashed a loud scream as her body glowed brightly.

The green Oni was slightly pushed back, and then...

*"CRACK!"*

He turned to see his club's lower half break, destroying the anti-magic wavelength it was making.

"No!" Virden screamed.

"Alright, now I can finish this!" Gressil realized, forming his magic circle again.

The green Oni charged desperately and tried to get through Fubuki's barrier, making him briefly jump as he was reminded of how little time they had.

"Please, give me the strength..." He said softly.

Grabbing her arm and pulling her back, the youngest Hyoudou watched as he unleashed a wave of fire.

"This isn't enough... to stop me!" Virden roared, stomping forward.

"Oh no, I'm not strong enough!" Gressil gasped, sweating a little.

Fubuki placed her hand on his, making him look at her before she closed her eyes, channeling another magic circle on top of his.

"But  _we_  are." She answered.

At that moment, their magic power began to synchronize, making Gressil's flames explode.

"No, it can't be! It's... too much!" Virden screamed.

Unleashing a loud shout, both of them made the wave of flames into a tsunami, completely disrupting the magnetic fields through the intense heat. The green Oni reached out in vein as the flames consumed his body.

"Master Nurarihyon... forgive me!" He shouted.

**「** **Insert Song End** **」**

Finally, the intense heat caused Kalawarner and Dohnaseek to wake up, gasping at all of the hot steam covering the area of the cave they were standing in.

"I... really did it." She panted, leaning on Gressil's side.

"Hey, are you alright?" He asked, giving a worried look.

She nodded her head, pointing to the steam in the room as if to answer she was just a little hot.

"Oh, that makes sense." Gressil realized.

A wind spell quickly formed in his hand, helping Fubuki relax as the steam was blown out of their area of the cave, lowering the temperature until it slightly warmer than before.

"What just happened here, and who's this?" Dohnaseek asked, blinking his senses back.

Gressil lightly waved at the duo, giving a nervous shiver.

"He's a friend that helped me save you." Fubuki answered.

"Y-yeah... though we only won because you helped me near the end, especially when you were immune to anti-magic field." He replied, blushing slightly.

Both Fallen Angels looked at the white-haired Hyoudou in surprise, making her give an awkward chuckle.

"Oh yeah, we ended up using a strong fire spell to beat that Oni, so the heat should have disrupted the magnetic fields. Gogmagog should be able to find the others now." She recalled.

"No need, I just need to lead you to my two brothers and my sister." Gressil reassured them.

All of them gave a confused look in response.

* * *

Sonneillon giggled as he sat on Rinsa's shoulder, making the Oni try to swat him... and fail as he popped up in another spot.

"Missed me!" He exclaimed, appearing on his head.

"Little brat! Stay still!" Rinsa screamed, trying again.

Once again, the blue-haired speedster popped in a different spot than where he swung at, this time appearing on his back. However, once the Oni realized this?

"Bad idea!" He grinned.

Falling backwards, the girls gasped at Sonneillon about to get apparently crushed... only for him to suddenly reappear by the girls, leaving Rinsa confused when his back hit the ground.

At that moment, the trio began laughing and pointing at his face, with all of Orochi's heads joining them.

"Ooh! Didn't know Oni liked flowers!" Yuuma giggled.

"The smiley tongue's a nice touch!" Homura laughed.

Using his axe as a mirror, the Oni screamed as he realized Sonneillon drew on his face with a marker, using his arm to wipe it off.

"You little brats!" Rina roared.

Slamming his axes down, a crimson wave exploded across the ground.

"Heads up!" Orochi warned.

"Excuse me." Sonneillon apologized.

Before either could ask, Yuuma watched as he grabbed Homura in a princess carry and moved her out of the way. The Fallen princess blinked as she took flight.

"U-u-uh..." She stuttered, blushing a little.

When the attack ended, the middle Hyoudou child felt herself placed down on the ground.

"Sorry if that was sudden, but I figured you didn't want to face another fall." He apologized.

Orochi chuckled a bit, followed by a whistling sound.

"That's not funny!" Homura exclaimed, blushing as she quickly realized what that meant.

"Whatever you say." The Dragon smirked.

Yuuma landed by the two, taking a moment to catch her breath before looking at them.

"I've slammed a bunch of light spears at him, but he's still standing. I don't know how else we'll be able to defeat this Oni." She admitted.

Orochi hummed at that, glaring his eyes to sense something... and then noticed an oddity.

"Wait, this Oni has traces of a Nekoshou... no, two Nekoshou applied to his aura. That doesn't many any sense at all." He stated.

"Same here, but it would explain his strength a bit more." Yuuma agreed.

"Just so I'm on the same page as you two, his strength is the result of being an already powerful Youkai with the boost of another powerful Youkai applied to him?" Homura inquired.

They both nodded at that.

"I doubt he's that unbeatable, maybe we just need to attack together?" Sonneillon suggested.

"At this point, any plan will do." Orochi replied.

Not wanting to give them the chance, Rinsa immediately rushed ahead and prepared to strike them with both his axes.

"I don't think so!" Homura exclaimed.

Thrusting the Murakumo into the air, the red Oni stumbled backwards as a sudden gale tripped him.

"Sonneillon, do it now!" Yuuma ordered.

He immediately began running around Rinsa, confusing him greatly as he kept swinging his axes, missing each and every time he tried.

"That's it, prepare to die!" He roared.

Raising both axes up and charging them again, everyone focused their eyes on him.

"Now!" Yuuma exclaimed.

Generating all of the power she had left, the daughter of Azazel formed a giant light spear that hovered over her hands as she raised them into the air.

Homura's aura spread itself out, turning into Orochi's female heads as she thrust Murakumo forward, making it extend and grow into Orochi's male head.

"Useless!" Rinsa screamed.

Once they were all ready, Sonneillon dashed out of the way, leaving a small burst of magic to strike him.

"Gah!" The red Oni gasped, falling over.

Yuuma and Homura screamed as their attacks shot through the red Oni's body, causing him to roar before finally... he fell on his back.

"Master... how? Tell me how I could be... defeated?" Rinsa mumbled.

He faded away into nothingness, leaving all three of them to watch.

"Finally, it's over..." Yuuma smiled.

At that moment, the Murakumo glowed before Orochi's form appeared before the group.

"You have freed me from my curse... this sword is now yours." The female heads stated.

"Use it wisely." The male head smiled.

Sonneillon blinked, looking at Homura.

"Is he... passing on to the afterlife?" He questioned, giving a sad look.

Yuuma closed her eyes, giving a kind smiled.

"No, it seems what kept him bound to the Murakumo is gone. He's free now." She realized.

He gave a surprised look.

"You're welcome Orochi, and I'll make sure to use it well... my friend." Homura promised.

The Evil Dragon's heads nodded before he disappeared, making the redhead tear up slightly.

"Are you OK?" Sonneillon asked.

"Don't worry, these are tears of joy. How could I be sad... when that sight proved I've freed him from the past?" She answered, smiling as she wiped her tears away.

Holding the Murakumo close, Yuuma rubbed her back.

"Looks like you really were the right person to help him, and that's something to be proud of." She smiled.

Wiping her tears away, Homura gave one last sniffle before nodding her head.

"Now, with all of that out of the way... mind explaining to us how you got here?" Yuuma inquired, making an O-shape with her hands to emphasize the light orb he once was.

"I can't, because that's a question I'm still asking myself!" Sonneillon replied.

Both of them gave confused blinks at that, struggling to register that response.

* * *

Azoilus continued his charge at the group, readying his blades for a finishing blow. Vali immediately turned to Suzaku and Balberith, getting their attention.

"I have an idea, just follow my lead." She requested.

"Go ahead, this is likely our best chance to beat him." Suzaku replied, nodding her head.

The Devil Princess smiled at that.

"Nothing you do will save you!" Azoilus exclaimed, accelerating his speed as his body started to glow a light blue.

At that moment, Vali readied herself by getting into a runner's position, keeping focus on the position of his arms.

" **Lightspeed!** "

She immediately dashed ahead, causing the blue Oni to smirk.

'You're dead.' He thought.

 **(Now!)**  Albion exclaimed!

Motioning herself like she was about to jump, Azoilus slashed above where her jump would take her... only for the Lucifer Heiress shift her legs and slide under him!

"What!?" The blue Oni screamed.

"A feint, nice." Balberith praised.

Going under him, Vali watched the Youkai stumble a bit, immediately swinging to punch the ground. A small crack stretched out to where he was about to fall.

"Suzaku, in front of him!" She exclaimed.

Finally understanding what the Devil Princess was intending, the Himejima Clan's Head unleashed a powerful flame onto the crack.

Before Azoilus could react, the ground broke under him, with the melted rock underneath trapping him in a puddle of sticky mud.

"What is this!?" He questioned.

The Oni quickly noticed a huge flare of power burst at that moment, seeing Balberith as the source of it. Unlike his first punch, his aura was coating it, meaning he had no intention of holding back with this one.

" **Ethereal Twilight!** "

" **Holy Thunder!** "

Azoilus could only unleash a mighty scream as their attacks all struck him, causing a huge explosion of smoke that knocked all three to the side.

When it finally cleared, the Oni was nowhere to be found.

"Game, set, and... match." Suzaku stated, pun intended.

Right as she changed back to normal, the entire cave system began shaking, getting the trio's attention.

"That can't be good." Balberith remarked.

Right on cue, all of the lightning that let everyone see in the cave went out, leaving only Vali and Gogmagog able to see. Just to make it worse, the sound of gravel hitting the ground was heard.

"Oh no, the cave's collapsing!" Suzaku realized.

"If this is because everyone beat their respective enemies, then this Master Nurarihyon guy is a real son of a-" Balberith glared.

"Hey!" Issei exclaimed.

Activating the charge of its lasers to give the group some light, Gogmagog revealed his group, just in time for his sisters and their groups to reunite with them.

"Thank goodness, you're all safe." Vali sighed in relief.

"Yeah, but we won't be if we don't hurry, and I'm not sure how Stella's been doing without us." Yuuma replied.

With all its pieces reunited, Gogmagog immediately reformed itself, soon banging its chest to open it up.

"That's smart!" Homura praised.

Making its signature sound in approval, everyone got inside... only for Albion to hold Vali in place for a moment.

"What's wrong?" She blinked.

 **("I hear something, and it sounds like... two voices! People are trapped down here!")**  Albion replied.

This got everyone's attention.

"Wait a second. During our battle, Orochi mentioned something about Nekoshou... wait, two Nekoshou!" Homura recalled.

"Of course, that explains it! Nurarihyon's army must have been empowered by these two!" Yuuma realized, looking horrified.

Realizing how deep they had to be, Vali made a determined look.

"Go on ahead! I'm the only one that can reach them in time with my Lightspeed technique, especially while I'm the only one who can see in the dark!" She ordered.

"No, that's crazy!" Mittelt exclaimed.

"You're not convincing me to leave them behind, so don't bother!" Vali shouted.

She ran off as the collapsing got worse.

"Promise you'll come back, I believe in you!" Issei begged, closing his eyes.

The Devil Princess smiled at him, nodding her head to confirm the promise.

" **Lightspeed!** "

Accelerating in the form of light, she dashed and stopped in response to Albion's guidance, with everyone getting inside Gogmagog as it blasted through the ceiling.

With their escape set, the Pawn of the Devil King leaped into the sky.

* * *

Looking at her Balance Breaker fade away, Stella breathed heavily as barely injured Master Nurarihyon stood across from her.

"I'm surprised a Longinus wielder could do so little to me." He smirked.

'And that just shows how much training I still need before I master these powers...' She admitted.

Right as she thought that, Gogmagog jumped out of the cave system with everyone falling out.

"We made it!" Sonneillon cheered.

Getting back on their feet, Issei and the others soon stood face to face with Master Nurarihyon.

"You actually escaped my labyrinth, impressive... but now you have to face me!" He exclaimed.

"Sorry guys, he was too strong for me." Stella apologized.

"Don't worry, you did your part. Now let all of us finish this fight for good." Yuuma reassured her, forming a lance of light.

Nurarihyon smirked as his Chi exploded from his body.

"Fine then, if you're so eager to fight me... it would be my honor to let you all taste the misery of defeat!" He exclaimed.

"This isn't going to be easy, especially with the additions to our makeshift group." Yuuma admitted.

Chuckling a bit, Nurarihyon pointed at them.

"I'll be willing to respect your immaturity then, go ahead and face me one by one! I'll only destroy you once every brat in your group is defeated!" He proposed.

Everyone's eyes widened at that.

"Best we accept, it gives Vali time to return in case we need her strength." Dohnaseek stated.

"Yeah, even if this is some kind of trap." Kalawarner agreed.

Deciding it was best for her to begin, Yuuma flew into the fray, throwing her light lance at the Youkai Master... who immediately caught it with his fingers and broke it.

'No good, I'll need to go with the old hit and run.' She realized.

Flying around him, her efforts to keep her distance quickly ended as Nurarihyon appeared before her in a ghostly flame.

"Game over!" He shouted.

He simply pressed his finger into her forehead, sending her into the ground.

"Alright, next-" Nurarihyon yawned.

" **Kusanagi Wind!** "

Surprise immediately hit him as a strong wind slashed against his body, flinging him into the nearby wall as Homura immediately seized her chance.

"You made no rules about someone going in the moment you beat them!" She stated.

Right at that moment, Nurarihyon prepared to do the same... only for her to thrust Murakumo at the same moment, letting its blade extended into eight and constrict his movement.

"Did you really think I wouldn't see that coming? There's a reason certain tricks only work once!" Homura smirked.

'She knew I'd try to catch her off-guard!' He thought, actually showing surprise.

Keeping her right foot in place, she began to spin around incredibly fast, causing a powerful tornado as a powerful gale circled her.

"This one's in honor of my uncle Susanoo!" Homura exclaimed.

" **Murakumo Hurricane!** "

Powerful lightning discharged by the friction of her foot, making the tornado explode into three as the Youkai Master was shot into the central point they met at.

"Now strike!" She screamed.

Lightning immediately gathered above the tornado, firing at Nurarihyon as he gave an intense scream.

"Wow..." Issei breathed.

"Big sis is amazing now!" Fubuki praised.

"More!" Homura exclaimed.

She immediately rushed into the storm, releasing her blade's hold on him.

" **Venomous Fang!** "

"Not so fast!" Nurarihyon shouted.

He immediately grabbed her, smirking as he prepared an attack... only to see it wasn't glowing. Homura smirked before fading away.

"You fell for it!" She exclaimed.

Nurarihyon immediately turned around, right as the blade slashed across his chest. His eyes widened as the energy wound left its mark, creating a scar with a purple tint to represent the Evil Dragon's poison.

"Damn you!" He roared.

After two expertly planned dodges, he finally struck Homura, making her crash into the ground.

"This is fine... my main purpose was to strike my blade's venom onto you, and I did." She smiled.

Nurarihyon landed, clutching his new scar.

"All you've done... is slow me down slightly!" He stated, trying to shrug it off.

Suzaku immediately assumed her Holy Beast form, taking the next charge.

* * *

Izanagi sweated a bit, though finally cheered as he turned to the others, giving a thumb's up. Everyone cheered as that meant he reestablished a connection to the Human Realm.

"Alright, now we can hopefully get news on how our children are doing." Eve smiled.

"Then why not ask me?" Orochi replied.

Everyone jumped at that, looking behind them to see Orochi in his restored body looking at the group.

"Wait, Orochi!?" Izanami gasped.

Realizing what that meant, the Evil Dragon nodded to confirm her thoughts.

"Homura managed to do it... that's my girl!" Shinri cheered, raising a fist up.

"I was freed before I saw the results of the other battles, but if someone without magic was able to win? I have no doubt the others took out Nurarihyon's top dogs. Only the Master himself should be left by this point." The male head answered.

"Strangely enough, a bunch of light orbs appeared and brought some new allies. Do any of you know why?" The female heads asked.

Eve gasped at that, quickly smiling at what it meant.

"They did make it, I knew it." She said to herself.

Orochi looked confused, so Lucifer cleared his throat to get this attention.

"Some of Nurarihyon's forces came here, but in the chaos, one of Eve's attacks got redirected and hit what I finally remembered was primordial ooze Lilith could once make. This ended up giving them life, which in turn likely made their forms home in on her children while as they finished forming." He explained.

Hearing that, the Evil Dragon laughed a bit.

"In other words, he might have just messed up his own plans! Wish I could be there to say that!" Orochi laughed.

"Let's ignore all of that for now. Even if they've won those battles, if Nurarihyon's still there..." Shinri reminded them.

The Devil King agreed, looking at everyone.

"I'll go check on them." He decided.

Unfolding his wings, he immediately took off before accelerating through the gate.

" **Lightspeed!** "

With that, he zipped out of view as he rushed to find the children.

* * *

Nurarihyon slid back as the area set flame from Suzaku's fire shots.

" **Holy Lightning!** "

The Youkai Master held his hands up, blocking the flurry of attacks that hammered against his form.

"So, this is the power of Baraqiel." He realized.

"Don't underestimate my father's power." Suzaku replied, giving a dark chuckle.

'And that's something you didn't get from him...' Nurarihyon said with a shiver.

Sticking his tongue out, he used them to make Youjutsu symbols, which immediately caught the Himejima Head's attention.

"Now, time for you to feel my full strength!" He roared.

Before she could even react, a huge flood of mist flowed over her, causing Suzaku to start violently coughing in response.

"W-what's going... what did you d-do to me!?" She asked, coughing more.

"Don't let it near you!" Kunou warn.

Everyone else moved out of the way, making Nurarihyon laugh.

"You just fell into my poison mist, wicked against spirits and creatures of darkness. Someone like you using a Youkai's power makes it worse. Although, the fact you have Zhuque means it'll pass before it can be fatal." He explained, sighing at the end.

She glared at him, quickly losing her Holy Beast form as she struggled to keep any strength... only to collapse from it.

"Apologies, but I watered up its effect, so the fatigue hit you like a ten-wheeler." Nurarihyon smirked.

"Leave her alone!" Fubuki screamed.

He held up a barrier to block... only for her magic to turn around and spike through his arm, making him scream as it went numb and immobile from striking the right nerve.

"You're dead-" He growled.

Unfortunately, she was smart enough to stay where she was, leaving him unable to determine Fubuki as the attack.

"Can't attack without breaking your rules, especially if you can't prove the voice and attack were from the same person." Homura chuckled.

"Shut up or I'll exempt you from my conditions." He warned, glaring at her.

Kalawarner immediately used the chance to attack, but Nurarihyon's powder immediately flared out and pushed everyone back.

"On second thought, I'll punish whoever was sneaky enough to try that!" The Youkai Master decided, finally losing his patience.

His body flashed his aura, blinding everyone before releasing a huge wave of Hinotama at the group, making everyone scream as they were hit. After a huge assault... only Issei was still standing, having a resistance to fire, leaving him to stare at all of his friends.

"No... everyone!" He breathed, looking in horror.

Looking at how he alone was still standing, the Youkai Master laughed a bit before walking closer.

"Well, it seems you and I are all that's left." He smirked.

['Issei...'] Ddraig thought.

He turned around, giving Nurarihyon an angry scowl as the fight became personal for him.

* * *

Vali covered her head as she weaved around a few falling rocks, looking at her left hand.

"Albion, how close are we?" She asked.

 **("Just about a hundred yards, but hurry!")**  Albion cautioned.

She nodded, using Lightspeed again.

"Hey, can anyone hear me!?" The Devil Princess shouted, hoping they'd verify they were still alive.

"Over here!" A female voice exclaimed.

Finding the proof she needed, the Heiress of Lucifer rushed ahead the remaining distance, getting pelted a bit as she found a prison chamber.

Looking inside, her eyes met the now older Shirone and Kuroka, the latter currently in a semi-conscious state shown through weak breathing.

"Don't worry, I'll get you out of here." She promised.

Grabbing the bars, she ripped them off, though the path behind them caved in, leaving the Devil Princess to blanch as she saw it.

"We're trapped!" Shirone screamed, covering her head.

'No, this can't be it... think Vali, think!' She thought.

At that moment, she recalled something important her father told her after getting her Evil Pieces.

_"The Castling maneuver usually swaps you with your Rook, but if not in a Rating Game and in a place that becomes accessible? Then you could use it to escape to where your Rook is." Lucifer's voice echoed._

"My Rook... didn't Issei want to look at my Evil Pieces a while back?" Vali wondered.

Taking out the box, she looked to see what she had... finding a Rook was missing!

"I totally owe you for this." The Devil Princess smiled.

Kneeling by the two, Shirone looked at her in confusion, feeling Vali place her forehead on hers.

"Don't worry, I have a way to save all three of us, but I need you to trust me." She reassured her.

"O-OK..." The white Nekoshou nodded.

Placing her hand on both Shirone and Kuroka's hands, she took a deep breath.

**("DIVIDE!") ("DIVIDE!")**

The White Nekoshou felt some of her power get drained, slumping a bit into Vali's arms.

'Please work, please!" She begged.

**("RELEASE!")**

A blue glow washed over her briefly, right as she took a deep breath.

Right as the prison caved in on itself, the three immediately warped away.

* * *

The trio was soon on the surface, appearing right besides Vali's missing Rook, which had rolled off his form after Nurarihyon's group attack.

"D-did we... did we make it?" Shirone asked, too afraid to open her eyes.

"We did, but you might want to keep them closed a bit longer." The Devil Princess answered, looking at Issei.

Unfortunately, curiosity got the better of her.

She regretted it just as fast as she opened her eyes, gasping as she saw Master Nurarihyon and Issei standing against each other, with everyone else either downed or unconscious from the Youkai Master's recent assault.

"That's him... the one who killed my parents 5 years ago." Shirone whimpered, hugging Vali closer.

Hearing those words, the Lucifer Heiress gasped.

"Ddraig... did you just hear that?" Issei asked.

**["BOOST!"]**

**["I did, and considering that I'm a father myself..."]**  He answered, glaring at Nurarihyon.

Nurarihyon felt his aura, raising an eye.

 **["That's something I can _never_  forgive, so it's time for our trump card."]** The Welsh Dragon decided.

At that moment, Issei felt something.

 **["Partner, there's a level of my power that I'm about to let you use, one that I only consider a last resort. Hearing what I did along with what he's done to your friends is enough, but you cannot let this fight take more than a few minutes... understood?"]**  Ddraig warned.

"Uh... not sure how to react to that, but let's go for it." He agreed.

**「** **Highschool DxD HERO: Hero** **」**

A huge roar escaped Issei's body, causing an explosive amount of aura to escape his body, making everyone who was unconscious wake up as if feeling a sense of dread overpower them for survival's sake.

 **["Nurarihyon, you've made a horrible decision... and now you must pay!"]**  Ddraig exclaimed.

The power exploded further, getting everyone's attention, while Nurarihyon's eyes widened in horror.

**["I, who shall awaken!"]**

Small green lights flew out of the Longinus, each beginning to swirl around Issei's body as they watched.

"What is this?" Vali asked.

For once, Albion did not answer, knowing seeing was believing in response to this power.

**["It's starting..."]**

**["The time has finally come..."]**

**["I am the Heavenly Dragon who stole the principle of Domination from God!"]**

Verrine and her brothers went silent, even Balberith showed noticeable emotion for once.

"This is freaky!" She remarked.

"And where did all these voices come from?" Gressil asked, shaking a bit.

Issei's body was soon covered in red energy.

**["It has always been this way..."]**

**["That is correct, always and forever..."]**

**["I mock the Illusion, and fret over the Dream!"]**

Stella felt her entire skin shake as she watched it, knowing this was nothing like a Balance Breaker, natural or sub-species.

"Uh... Perseus, Andromeda? A little 411 here?" She asked.

Her body began to sweat nervously when they refused to response, almost as if they were afraid.

**["What the world desires..."]**

**["What the world rejects..."]**

**["I shall become the Red Dragon of Domination!"]**

The transformation soon became more noticeable as red armor covered Issei's body, taking the shape of a Dragon's body.

**["Has always been power..."]**

**["Has always been love..."]**

**["I shall drown you in the depths of Crimson Purgatory!"]**

Homura finally found her voice.

"What is that? What is that!?" She demanded, fear invading her entire form.

"His aura and power... they feel dangerous." Fubuki mentioned, hugging her sister.

Yuuma was the one who answered.

"This is a level of power only those who are born as the Red and White Dragon Emperors can use, but one Ddraig and Albion only use as an absolute last resort. This power is known as..." She answered.

Because it was nearly done, she didn't say the name that was about to be announced.

**["JUGGERNAUT DRIVE!"]**

Nurarihyon froze as he stared at Issei's dragon armor, hearing him give a mighty roar as it was completed.

"You're... the Red Dragon Emperor!?" He realized, stepping back.

"Get ready to face the anger of everyone you've hurt!" Issei exclaimed, rushing ahead.

The Youkai Master shouted as he blasted Senjutsu at him.

**["BOOST!"] ["BOOST!"] ["BOOST!"] ["BOOST!"] ["BOOST!"] ["BOOST!"] ["BOOST!"] ["BOOST!"] ["BOOST!"] ["BOOST!"]**

As expected, the Juggernaut Drive's power rendered it useless as Issei simply punched him into the sky.

 **["remember, you have to finish this quickly! Don't waste a moment in taking him down!"]**  Ddraig reminded him.

"Don't worry, I'm not delaying this for anything!" He promised.

It was at this moment that Lucifer finally arrived on the scene, gasping as he saw the Juggernaut Drive in action.

"He's actually using it... guess I should wait for a bit." He decided, a nervous bead of sweat on his cheek.

Roaring as he began charging his power, the dimensions began to warp, leaving Nurarihyon in a panic as he saw everything grow in size and disorient him.

**["DOUBLE ESCALATION!"]**

"Whoa... my strength's returning." Homura remarked, managing to get on her knees.

"So, this is a taste of a Heavenly Dragon's power." Stella realized.

Arms extended out of Issei's scale mail as they reached for the Youkai Master, who immediately held out his good arm.

"I will not fall here!" He screamed hoarsely, the fear of death starting to overtake him.

Unleashing his Youjutsu mist again, the empowered Red Dragon Emperor just went through it without any effect, making Nurarihyon's eyes widened.

'Dragons are immune to it? This can't be!' He panicked.

"And now, time for you to go down!" Issei roared.

The arms finally locked onto Nurarihyon, also having his tail wrap around the Youkai Master for good measure as the armor on his chest opened up to show a green orb. Everywhere else green was on the scale mail also began glowing.

Everyone watched as hundreds of Boost commands were announced, overlapping so much that no one was sure how many times it was said before stopping.

**["INFLATION BOOSTER!"]**

A huge blast fired out at the Youkai Master, covering his entire body as he screamed.

**「** **Insert Song End** **」**

"This can't be... I was supposed to... curse you Red Dragon Emperor!" He shouted.

Issei's body began to pant after that.

 **["Juggernaut Drive: Time Out."]**  Ddraig announced.

Dispelling the scale mail, he collapsed onto his knees.

"I barely used that for around three minutes, and yet it feels like I just had a sugar crash!" He remarked, still panting.

 **["Had you not been your mother's son, you'd have crashed after just 10 seconds."]**  Ddraig mentioned.

"Are you freaking serious!?" Issei exclaimed.

Before anything else could be said, both of his sisters hugged him close.

"Thank goodness you're OK." Fubuki sniffled.

"You're a crazy idiot, but you're our crazy idiot!" Homura smiled, wiping her eyes.

He chuckled at that.

"Are you all alright!?" Lucifer called out, flying towards the ground.

Everyone looked as he finally hit the ground.

"Dad, is everyone OK?" Vali asked, looking a bit worried.

"No worries, we all made it out OK." He reassured her.

She sighed in relief.

"I'm more impressed over how Issei had to use the Juggernaut Drive for you to defeat Nurarihyon, guess that shows how strong he became." Lucifer stated.

"Actually... he had a bit of help there." Vali mentioned.

"What do you..." The Devil King questioned, looking her way.

Once he did, he gasped upon seeing Kuroka's still semi-conscious state and the shaken Shirone.

"Are those Nekoshou?" He asked.

"The last two in the world apparently... this one says Master Nurarihyon killed their parents 5 years ago." She confirmed.

"So, that means these are... come on, let's get them back to Kyoto." Lucifer realized, picking Kuroka up.

Having no reason to stay, everyone quickly left the realm, with the Devil King mentally reminding himself to let Izanami know to destroy the realm once they returned.

* * *

Upon returning, Kunou found herself being hugged by her mom.

"I was so worried when Amino and I couldn't find you, try to at least let me know where you are if you run off like that." Yasaka asked, holding her close.

"Sorry mother." She apologized.

Amino looked closely at Kuroka, giving a saddened look as she rubbed her forehead.

"Poor things, being used like batteries..." The Kyuubi said sadly.

Eve walked by her side, trying to use her healing powers on her.

"So, this girl and her younger sister had their parents killed by Nurarihyon under everyone's noses?" She asked.

"Five years ago, and we never found her children. It made us wonder if the Nekoshou truly went extinct." Tsukuyomi confirmed.

Issei's eyes widened at that.

"Are you serious?" He asked, shocked that any supernatural race was dying out in the present day.

"Rather not explain the details, but there was a point only their mother was left." She confirmed.

Susanoo scowled at that.

"To think he was the reason for that, if only we had known!" He screamed in anger, punching the wall.

Eve soon shook her head, looking at the others.

"My powers aren't working, there's nothing that needs to be healed." She stated.

At that moment, Shirone collapsed on the ground, mimicking her sister's weak state.

"Is that bad?" Fubuki asked.

"To put it lightly? Even if they're fine now, all that draining may cause their bodies to go through something... bad if they don't recover it soon enough." Eve answered.

Lucifer gritted his teeth, placing a hand on his daughter's shoulder.

"No choice... Vali, you need to use your Evil Pieces to help them." He stated, keeping his eyes closed.

Hearing that, the silvery-white haired Devil gasped.

"B-but if I do that, then the Nekoshou will basically go extinct anyways." She replied.

"Please, we'll allow it." Izanami requested.

The Devil Princess covered her mouth as she saw the mother of the Shinto Pantheon bow fully onto the ground, knowing what that Japanese custom met.

"I agree, letting them is worse than sacrificing any chance the Nekoshou can restore themselves." Izanagi agreed.

"Well... alright, if you really want me to." Vali agreed.

Grabbing her box of Evil Pieces, she took them out and held out her Pawns first, seeing three react to Shirone, but none to her older sister.

"OK, guess I can give her my normal Bishop, as for her sister..." She decided.

Everyone watched her put a Knight out, then a Rook, all of her Pawns, her Queen, then two Knights... ending with both her Rooks failing to react. That made everyone stare as that meant only one piece was left.

Gulping a bit, she held out her Mutation Bishop... finally getting a reaction.

"Just how strong is she?" Vali questioned, feeling one of her eyes twitching.

Putting the rest of her pieces away, she laid the Mutation Bishop on Kuroka's chest and the normal one on Shirone, taking a deep breath.

" **In the name of Valiana Lucifer, hear my command and bring new life to these two as my Bishops!** " The Devil Princess chanted.

The pieces became red and see-through before sinking into their bodies.

Everyone watched for a moment, hoping it worked... right as both opened their eyes, Shirone's full of shock and Kuroka's looking fatigued.

"Ugh... my head. What happened to me?" The Black Nekoshou asked.

"Oh, thank goodness you two are OK." Uzume sighed, smiling in relief.

Recognizing the voice, Kuroka got up and looked to see the Shinto deities looking at her with relieved faces.

"Did you... save us?" She asked.

"No, that was me." Vali replied, raising her hand slightly as she waved it.

Looking at the Devil Princess, she blinked a bit as she examined her features.

"My name's Valiana Lucifer, but just call me Vali, and... I sort of had to make you and your sister part of my peerage to save your lives." She apologized.

"We also sort of asked her to, so blame us if you need to blame anyone." Izanagi mentioned.

She had a moment of silence, looking at herself as she realized what she now was.

"Basically, now we're Devils..." She sighed.

Upon saying that, Lucifer felt something off in each of them, quickly placing a hand on each of their foreheads. This confused everyone for a moment before shaking their heads.

"I don't sense any Sacred Darkness in them, they're still purely Nekoshou." He stated.

"Eh!?" Vali exclaimed.

Both sisters took a moment to register the fact that they didn't turn into Devils like expected, with even Lilith showing some surprise.

"They're not Devils, but how?" She asked.

"My best theory? Since Vali is a Human/Devil hybrid because of unique circumstances, her Evil Pieces are glitched when it comes to the conversation process. In a sense... they're just black-colored Ally Pieces." Lucifer assumed.

Before any of the Hyoudou siblings could ask, he turned to them.

"White equivalents to Evil Pieces we give our allies that don't want to be Devils, hence the name." The Devil King answered.

Issei chuckled at that, looking at his sisters.

"Guess it was kind of obvious we'd ask that time, right?" He realized.

"Pretty much." Homura agreed.

Fubuki nodded, a noticeable sweat drop on her face.

"So, in other words..." Kuroka realized.

"Congratulations, you basically got a magical boost for free." Lucifer smiled.

"Is something you don't hear every day..." Shirone remarked.

Out of nowhere, Lilith started laughing for reason, confusing everyone that wasn't aware she was having a slight mood swing right there.

"She's pregnant." Vali explained.

Everyone nodded their heads as they made a sound of understanding.

"Another thing you don't hear every day." Shirone repeated.

"Putting that aside... I think this works out for them. We have no idea on their father's identity or any relatives he may have had, nor can we find out due to their Youkai genes leaving too little to trace him." Amaterasu mentioned.

Lucifer nodded his head at that, realizing Vali became the closest thing to actual family for them.

"We'll take care of them." He promised.

"Now, think it's time we took care of this issue..." Shinri mentioned, pointing at Verrine and her brothers.

She waved in response.

"Right..." The Devil King agreed, pinching his nose briefly.

"So, they told you their names are Verrine, Balberith, Sonneillon, and Gressil?" Eve asked, looking at Issei.

"That's right." He confirmed.

After that was said, the jade-haired girl smiled and pointed at herself.

"I'm the oldest, Bal's my younger twin, while Sonneillon and Gressil are the same ages as your daughter's." Verrine answered.

Lilith took a closer look at them.

"Yep, just as I thought... these four are definitely the Devils were born from the primordial ooze." She confirmed.

Everyone who had gone to fight Nurarihyon felt their eyes widen.

"These four are Devils!? But that doesn't... we never..." Homura stuttered.

All four of them spread out their wings, showing each had five pairs of Devils wings on their backs, making the middle Hyoudou sibling's eye twitch as she watched.

"I retract my statement..." She corrected.

"Hold on, primordial ooze? As in what mom used to create all of the Devils with just one pair of wings? But I thought she lost that ability after the Great War." Vali asked.

"Same with us, but maybe the real problem was stress kept it from happening, and that stress might have finally cleared up." Izanami assumed.

Lucifer nodded his head.

"And while this is a good thing, she'll likely be unable to make as much as she once did due to the power we lost. That means there's still value for Evil Pieces." He stated.

Vali nodded her head, soon feeling her mother pet it.

"Since all of them are here, and I technically created them? I think that gives me a good idea of what to do with them." Lilith decided.

Taking out a Queen, Rook, Knight and Bishop, she kneeled at the four siblings.

"How would all of you like to be part of the family?" She asked, smiling at them.

Everyone showed surprise, while for the siblings themselves...

"What do you think? In a way, she is kind of family." Verrine smiled, already wanting to accept.

"Meh, nothing better to do." Balberith shrugged.

Sonneillon nodded, while Gressil seemed a little nervous, but decided to reach out for an Evil Piece in the end. He took the Bishop, while Balberith got the Rook, Sonneillon the Knight, and Verrine the Queen.

"Guess we have the Houses of Lilith now." Lucifer chuckled.

He then turned to the children, giving them a proud smile.

"There's still a lot of training we'll be covering during the time we're all here, but for today? All of Kyoto's Youkai see you as their heroes." He smiled.

Everyone gave bright expressions, knowing they earned that praise.

However, it was only the first of many challenges that would come their way.

* * *

**Our heroes fought hard and they succeeded, but I made it clear that today's victory was only possible because Issei used the Juggernaut Drive, though the good news this version of it is safer because there's no curse to make it so lethal. That being said, it still heavily drains the user, so had Issei not defeated Nurarihyon in time... he would be in the perfect position to kill him afterwards.**

**Homura's safe thanks to Orochi, but her success in freeing Orochi from his anger and regrets means their partnership has come to an end. How he saved her is also why that dual-gendered aspect among his heads existed. For Fubuki, we now know her magic is different because it evolved her heart, which did the same to itself, letting it ignore magical counters.**

**As for Verrine and her brothers? They've all joined Lilith's peerage, being her version of the Six Houses of Lucifer in her husband's peerage. I did originally have different plans for them, but I'd take too long to say it here, so ask me by review or PM if you're curious. As for how the Devils' wings work here... same thing if you want to know, though I will say that in this story? Devils in the 72 pillars have four wings.**

**Best of all is Kuroka and Shirone have finally returned after their brief appearance in Chapter 3, becoming the first additions to Vali's peerage. Oh, and since they're finally going to be around regularly, not to mention Koneko/Shirone is 9-years old right now? I'm going to say that I'm not as comfortable with lolis as most, so any canon character that looks younger than they are or is young will use their actual appearances as their younger appearances here.**

**There's one chapter left before the Kyoto arc is over, and while getting permissions for the rest of their training journey until the birth of Vali's younger brother/sister is main reason they need to stay by Lucifer's schedule? Our heroes still need to take care of a few other things, including a certain something you'll probably already now about if you've been keeping an eye out for hints in the recent chapters.**

**Until next time everyone, and stay awesome! ^^**


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a reminder, this chapter is focused on the announcing the reboot that's still on FFN, so go there to read the third and official version of this story.

**Hey everyone, you've likely already noticed this chapter has the unfortunate "Announcement" in it that by now, you've come to know with me submitting a chapter that uses its author notes to give you bad news. *sighs* Better rip off the old bandage, though this time? I want you all to know that I didn't have a second panic attack or anything like that, so this announcement comes from my usual state of mind.**

**And said announcement is... once again, I'm rebooting this story.**

**That's right, you didn't misread that, I have to start over again. For anyone that's curious to what happened? Well... I messed up in organizing and planning things at a level that I've created a... dectuple knot with everything, which I've tried to fix. Believe me when I say this as in January, I decided to go back and fix every chapter because I recently noticed during my panic attack that my writing style degraded.**

**That on its own wasn't an issue, as it was mostly me reducing how many times I defined a character by a trait or title other than name (I'm sure some of you noticed I kept referring to Vali by Devil Princess more and more the further in), even thought of going with my original idea related to Verrine and her brothers, but before I realized it? I realized that by trying to do Vali's entire training journey, I tangled myself way too much by trying to change my mind.**

**When I began the original version of the story, moving things forward was easy, and my only delay came from my Grandma dying a month after it was released, making me unable to think about anything related to Angels or Heaven for a while without remember it. My start here was similar solid, with many telling me it was better than the original, but I also feel that I shouldn't have progressed past Chapter 1 when my panic attack had been a recent event.**

**Basically, I tried too much and realized too late the problem.**

**Since this happened again? I'm going to make a vow, and give you all two gifts. Starting with the latter? I'll post the original version of LOHD, both its non-revised and revised states, on Archive of Our Own to let you all read them again. Just know it will take a while since I'll have to adjust some chapters to undo Chapter 78+'s** **revisions. For the latter, it will only go to Chapter 20, as that's the best place I can call that complete due to it being unfinished.**

**For my vow? The new Chapter 1 for my 3rd attempt at this story, which I'll announce know will have a release date of " _April 10th_ " to give me time for this, and because I'm hoping posting it on the same day I finished the first season of the original will give me good luck, I will attempt to make the start better than ever before by trying for a minimum word count of...**

**20,000!**

**That's right, I'm going to try making it my largest chapter _ever_  as my way of making it up to you! Best of all, this version (before it moves to AO3) will stay up until Spiritual Successor's anniversary update on April 30th, so everyone has plenty of time to see the chapter I made here and be able to find the new version before I take this one down.**

**In the meantime? This story, as you saw already, has been renamed "Journey of the Heavenly Dragons" to reflect that's all you really saw of it, and to honor the sequel the original made it to. The biggest reason for this? For this third version, I think I'll stop trying for a trilogy and include everything in just this one story, but don't take my word on that just yet since I'm going to pace myself this time.**

**To help me out for this coming reboot? I want all my fans from the original and current version to tell me what things they liked, what they didn't like, what ideas and etc. I did well, what ideas and etc. I could have done better, and similar things so I can take the best of both into this new version. Basically, I'm asking everyone to help me make sure that this time? I will make this story a success, or rather... we will make it one together! :)**

**Anyways, enjoy this chapter, since what I had ironically had something to make it feel like a finale. Next chapter, which will announce the new version is out, will be an idea for what would follow in Chapter 17, as that chapter didn't have Vali or Issei in it as well. In the meantime, keep an eye on my DxD/Testament crossover, as I'm hoping that may help me regain my DxD swing a bit, just in case this situation happened because I lost said swing.**

**Let the chapter begin, and once again? I apologize for all of this.**

* * *

**()**  - Albion Talking via the Divine Dividing

 **[]**  - Ddraig Talking via the Boosted Gear

 **«»**  - Consciousness of any other Sacred Gear Talking

 **〖〗**  - Voice Speaking through a Magic Circle

 **【】**  - Voice made by an Announcement or through an Announcer

 **「」**  - Insert Song Beginning or Ending

『』 - Electrical Voice or Machine Speaking

* * *

**_Chapter 16 - The Roads we Walk_ **

The days flew by until the last day of their week long break, with everyone using the time to explore and tour through Kyoto, which none of them had gotten time to do because of their training.

Currently, one could see Issei and his sisters, Vali, and the Nekoshou Siblings around the shop area. Fubuki in particular holding a little fox souvenir that caught her eye.

"Aw, this is so cute!" Fubuki smiled.

"You wanna buy it?" Homura asked.

Fubuki nodded her head, which resulted in Issei handing some money to the shop keeper. Vali smiled at the sight before she looked at Kuroka, who currently had a napping Shirone on her lap as she rubbed her sister's head.

"Glad to see Shirone's able to relax. I was worried about how she'd recover after what the two of you went through." Vali stated.

Kuroka giggled at that, looking at the Devil Princess.

"My sister and I are tough cookies, it doesn't surprise me she bounced back once we stopped having to run." Kuroka mentioned.

"One of my cousins is like that. She only cries at the start of something, then she immediately gets back on her feet." Vali smiled.

"Hey Vali! Kuroka!" Fubuki exclaimed.

Both of them looked as Fubuki ran over to them, showing the anime-like fox she bought.

"Nice choice, that one totally fits you." Kuroka approved.

Fubuki giggled in response.

A slight sound caught Issei's attention, making him look up as he saw a bit of blonde through the small gaps between the wood.

'Ddraig, was there someone up there?' Issei asked.

 **["There was, but I wasn't paying enough attention to make out anything about them, other than they weren't hostile or dangerous."]**  Ddraig answered.

He raised an eye, wondering who they were.

"Issei, you there?" Vali asked.

Finally snapping from his trance, Issei turned to look at the Lucifer Heiress.

"Oh, sorry about that. What's up?" He asked.

"My dad just asked us to come back for a few minutes. There's someone coming to get the rogue Youkai, and he'd like us to meet them." Vali explained.

Issei tilted his head, wondering who it was.

* * *

Walking into the Youkai Realm through the restored torii gate, all of them saw Lucifer waiting for them.

"Right on time." Lucifer smiled.

"So, who are we meeting exactly?" Issei asked, not seeing anyone.

"Look over there." Lucifer answered, pointing to the side.

Everyone looked in that direction, causing them to see the arrival of many hooded figures with faces made of shadows like the Shadow People, only purple and moving in a calm manner compared to their wild ones. They also had skeletal hands that held scythes.

However, it was the one surrounding them that was the real big shot the Devil King was referring to. It was a skeleton what looked to be a high priest's outfit, having a blue glow that represented his eyes.

"A living skeleton and... Grim Reapers?" Homura realized.

"Everyone, this is Hades. The Greek God of the Dead who rules the Netherworld and is responsible for those imprisoned in both Tartarus, which holds the icy prison of Cocytus." Lucifer revealed.

Once they got close enough, the Reapers in front moved aside to let Hades walk up to Lucifer.

"Glad you were able to come on short notice, hope this wasn't too much of a bother." Lucifer greeted.

"Not at all. If anything, it saddens me that I didn't see the Red Dragon in action." Hades answered.

Pointing at himself, Issei blinked in surprise.

"Don't be too surprised young one, Nurarihyon's soul kept making all this noise about how unfair it was for him to be beaten by you. I'm simply expressing my disappointment over my inability to see such an entertaining fight." He answered.

Issei sighed in relief at that.

"Alright everyone, get over here." Susanoo shouted, pulling the chains holding the members of Nurarihyon's army.

Lucifer pushed the children back a bit, showing the angered Youkai staring at them. One even tried to attack Hades.

Unfortunately for him, a scythe immediately neared his face before he could.

"Don't even try it. Despite what we were asked to do with you, it doesn't mean we're not afraid to reap your souls if you choose to misbehave." Pluto warned, his eyes glowing in an angry shape to emphasize it.

And with said threat, the Youkai immediately stood down in fear. Hades took this chance to grab their chains.

"Ah, before I forget? I've heard the news of your daughter's peerage gaining its first members. Let me know when I can expect her first Rating Game, as I don't want to miss that." Hades requested, looking at Lucifer.

Lucifer nodded his head in agreement, which prompted Hades and his Grim Reapers to finally take their leave.

"Never thought I'd see someone like Hades up close, it was awesome yet a bit terrifying..." Homura mentioned.

"I didn't expect he'd be a living skeleton." Issei remarked.

"He isn't one, that's just a cosmetic appearance he applies with magic while he's doing his job." Lucifer explained.

"Why does he do that?" He asked.

"Well, would you try to kill something that already looks like it's dead?" Lucifer inquired.

Issei went quiet, feeling a sudden chill pass through his skin from that answer.

"So, is the Netherworld meant to be what Humanity thinks Hell is?" Fubuki asked.

"More like a mix of that and a prison. There's a lot of living people in there who are prisoners, some of which are frozen in Cocytus... trust me when I say you don't want further details on that." Vali answered, her nervousness showing at the end.

And with that line, everyone mentally agreed to stop talking about it.

"Well, that's all I needed you to see. Get back out there and enjoy the rest of your day off." Lucifer stated.

"Right!" Everyone replied.

They quickly went back to the Human Realm, leaving the Devil King to briefly glance behind him as he saw Kunou following them without anyone's notice.

"She's going to torture herself if she doesn't make up her mind soon." He sighed.

Lucifer quickly walked back into Takama-ga-Hara, wanting to check on the progress of Lilith and his unborn child.

* * *

**~ 3 Months Later: Christmas Eve**

Kyoto was shown to be completely covered in the white snow of Winter and the decorations of Christmas, showing everyone in the holiday Spirit. The Youkai Realm was the same, though with more glowing lights due to its darker landscape.

Inside the Imperial Palace, the sight of Issei could be seen as he a gift he wrapped for Vali behind his back, walking into the room with the tree as Verrine decorated it.

"OK, the cost looks clear, so..." Issei whispered, sliding his gift under the tree.

"Jingle bells! Jingle bells! Jingle all the way!" Verrine sang, swirling some red and silver tinsel around the tree.

Shirone was sitting by the fire, drinking hot chocolate.

"I haven't gotten to celebrate a real Christmas in a long time, it feels great to do it again." Shirone smiled.

Issei chuckled at that, successfully getting Vali's present under the tree.

"And I'm glad to see everyone's showing Christmas Spirit." Issei smiled.

"Um... excuse me?" Gressil interjected.

Everyone looked as Gressil walked inside, his signature paper bag having the addition of a Santa hat on top of, tapping his pointer fingers together.

"Is it true?" He asked.

"Uh... little brother, you may need to be a bit more specific." Verrine giggled.

"Sorry, I'm talking about Santa Claus. Is it true that he's real?" Gressil asked.

Everyone grinned at that.

"He is. While Humanity's not in full agreement about him, Santa is a real person. I even got to meet him in person without knowing it until my mom told me." Issei confirmed.

Gressil's eye holes sparkled, looking excited by the revelation.

"Wait, just how did that happen?" Shirone asked.

"Those dress up Santa's you see in malls and other places? The real one uses those to sneak himself in, which my mom once planned for, and I only believed her when we saw him leaving." He explained.

Shirone's jaw dropped at the revelation, puffing her cheeks in jealousy at the same time Vali chose to walk into the room.

"Hmm?" She blinked.

"Shirone's jealous that Issei, and I'm presuming you, have actually met the real Santa Claus in person." Verrine explained.

"Ah, that makes sense." Vali realized.

Vali kneeled down and began rubbing her Bishop behind the ear, making Shirone's eyes widen before she relaxed into a comfortable purr.

"Meow." Shirone smiled, making the paw motion.

"Don't worry, I bet you'll see him sooner than you think." Vali reassured her, smiling as she did.

Shirone just nodded her head as she kept purring, making Issei smile as he walked by her side.

"You're going to be a great big sister, I know it." Issei stated.

"Oh yeah, when's the baby due? I really wanna know if she's having a boy or a girl." Verrine asked, pouting a bit.

"Nothing specific, but... any day now!" Vali revealed.

That made everyone gasp, realizing that meant Lilith could go into labor at the most ironic time for a Devil to be born.

"Wow, it would be kind of freaky if that were today or Christmas... though I doubt it will really happen." Gressil chuckled.

A loud scream suddenly filled the Imperial Palace, one that was clearly Lilith's.

"Unless you just managed to jinx it." Shirone retorted.

Gressil gave an embarrassed laugh at that, sweating

"Mom, is that we think it is!?" Issei called out.

"Yes, Lilith's having the baby!" Eve answered.

Gressil gave an embarrassed laugh before his sister grabbed his arm, following everyone as they rushed out of the room.

* * *

Everyone waited outside a room of the castle, leaving only Lucifer and Eve inside, being the father and midwife respectively.

"It sounds painful, how's she bearing all of that?" Sonneillon asked.

"Because that's what a mother does. After all, there's a reason men don't carry babies for 9 months." Shinri answered, chuckling at Lilith's Knight.

Vali felt her hands shaking, which is when Issei took it in his.

"Don't worry, it won't be much longer." He reassured her.

She took a deep breath, calming herself down before looking him in the eyes.

"You've seen this twice, guess you'd know." Vali replied.

He chuckled a bit, rubbing the back of his head with his free hand... right as everyone heard the sound of crying.

**「Sword Art Online: A Tender Feeling」**

Walking out of the room, Eve released a deep breath.

"Congratulations Vali, you're a big sister now." She smiled, looking at the Devil Princess.

Hearing that, everyone smiled as the Lucifer Heiress teared up.

"Now, why don't you join your parents in being the first to meet your new sibling?" Eve suggested.

"Alright." She nodded.

Walking into the room, she saw Lucifer and Lilith with teary eyes as they smiled at the bundle in the latter's arms. The Devil Queen soon turned to see her.

"Hey there Vali, meet your baby brother." She smiled, revealing his gender.

Smiling at that, Lilith turned the bundle to reveal a baby boy with the skin tone of her father, but her mother's black hair. While his eyes hadn't opened yet, it was likely that he also inherited their color from his father.

Kneeling on the ground, Vali took her brother in her hands, making her shed a few tears as he smiled at her.

"Did you choose a name?" She asked.

"No, we felt you should choose." Lucifer answered, rubbing her head.

Taking a moment, she tried to think of a name... and then one popped into her head.

"Alivi."

Hearing his name, a sound of what seemed like approval left his mouth.

"Welcome to our world." Lucifer sniffled.

**「Insert Song End」**

The three of them hugged close, with Alivi soon opening his red eyes to see them, giving a light smile to his new family.

"Eve, you can let everyone in now." Lilith approved.

Opening the door, all eyes soon met with the new Devil Prince, leading to some quiet sounds of excitement.

"It's a boy, how cute." Verrine smiled.

"What's his name?" Issei whispered.

"Alivi." Lucifer answered.

Vali soon passed her brother around to the others that wanted to hold him.

"Totally called he'd be Lucifer with Lilith's hair." Shinri remarked.

"No you didn't." Eve replied playfully, lightly tapping his nose.

He shrugged in response.

"Looks like this was the best Christmas gift you could have gotten." Issei stated.

"Vali blushed a bit, twirling a strand of her hair.

"I can think of one better, but we still have no leads on it." She mentioned.

Remembering about Ingvild, he put a hand on her shoulder.

"We'll save her, don't you worry." He promised.

She smiled at that, putting her hand on his, making both close their eyes as Lucifer took notice of this.

At the same time, Kunou was seen peaking into the room.

'I... probably shouldn't interrupt this...' She thought, silently moving away from the door.

Turning around, she suddenly saw her older sister standing before her, giving a deep stare.

"Kunou, let's have a talk." Amino asked.

"Uh... OK?" The young Kyuubi replied.

Moving to a hall far enough away to avoid upsetting Alivi if things go loud, Amino focused her eyes at Kunou, who sweated a bit despite the distance between them.

**「Sword Art Online: In Your Past」**

"Tell me, what do you really want?" She asked.

"H-huh?" Kunou blinked.

"For these last few years, I've noticed it. Every time someone from beyond Kyoto visits or you hear stories about places around the world... there's this sparkle in your eyes that never appears with anything else." Amino stated.

Kunou's eyes widened and tried to reply.

"Don't try to say otherwise. There was no reason for you to go with the others to fight Nurarihyon, yet despite that, I knew you followed them." The older Princess replied, shaking her head.

"But... but I..." Kunou replied.

Amino sighed, giving a slightly disappointed look in her eyes as she briefly glanced to the side.

What her little sister didn't know was Yasaka was standing out of her view, listening to every word.

"You just can't enjoy yourself, because I know what's holding you back... you think that because mom was forced to take her role when grandma died, that's not a right you have!" She exclaimed.

Kunou's eyes widened at that, confirming her sister was right on the mark.

"Mom's going to see this eventually, and what will you tell her then? All you'll be doing is hurting everyone! Now, I'll ask again... what do you really want?" Amino asked, repeating her question.

"I... I..." The younger Kyuubi stuttered.

Various images flashed through her mind, showing moments with Vali's group and other people she saw through the years.

_"Tell me, what's the outside world like?"_

_"It must be amazing out there!"_

_"Seeing it all... if only it wasn't just a dream."_

Finally, it became too much for her.

"What about what you want to do? Not just that, did mom get that choice!?" Kunou screamed.

Amino froze at that.

"Fine, if you want to hear it... I do want to leave Kyoto and see the world! It would be so easy to solve my problems if I could go, but Yasaka didn't ask for her mother to die! With that in mind... how would anything I say to mother not sound selfish or ungrateful if I told her that? We don't know the future, Nuraihyon's actions only proved that, so how could I go when there's no guarantee any of us will be OK?" She sniffled, finally admitting her dream.

**「Insert Song End」**

Kunou immediately ran off, sobbing as she did. Her older sister released a sigh, looking at Yasaka's surprise face.

"This is something she's held back for years, all because she didn't want to disappoint us... I think it's time we let her know that we aren't letting the past deciding our future." Amino stated.

Staying silent, the Youkai Leader released a deep breath, making her decision.

* * *

Finally, the day of Christmas arrived, with families and friends spending time with one another. Inside the Imperial Palace, the sight of Eve could be seen as she made sure all the presents were accounted for.

"Good, not a single present missing." She smiled, standing back up.

"It's here!" Fubuki exclaimed.

Looking behind her, the First Human giggled at the sight of her youngest cheering as she ran into the room.

'As always, this is the one time of year where you become the loud one.' She smiled.

Everyone else quickly flooded into the room, though a few noticed Kunou didn't have the same cheer as the rest. Amino said it was a nightmare, but...

"Since we're guests here, we'd like everyone to try one one of our traditions. Before we open the presents Santa brought, we share the gifts we got each other." Shinri smiled.

"Ooh, that sounds interesting." Sonneillon remarked.

Issei immediately pulled out the present he got Vali, putting it in her hands.

"Here you go." He smiled.

"Oh, thanks Issei." She smiled back, opening it up.

Inside she found a self-made plushie resembling a white Dragon... no, it wasn't any white dragon at all. This was proven when Albion's miniature form appeared on her shoulder.

 **("No way... is that me!?")**  She asked, noticing it looked just like her.

Eve giggled as her son blushed.

"Yeah... it isn't exactly a masculine skill, so I don't really make it common knowledge I can sow." He admitted.

"Doesn't help Fubuki always ripped her clothes when younger." Shinri added.

Fubuki went red and covered her father's mouth, causing him to fall over as everyone tried not to laugh.

"Why'd you say that out loud!?" She shouted, blushing in embarrassment.

"Is this some kind of familial comedy you planned?" Kuroka smirked.

A pillow hit her face, making her cough out a few feathers before she fell over, making Shirone shook as she noticed Fubuki tossed it.

"Drop it... drop it..." Gressil warned.

Balberith slid Vali's present to Issei into view, clearing his throat.

"I... I really like it, thank you." She blushed.

She noticed her present to him and handed it to him, making him open it in response. To everyone's surprise, it was the same gift, but for Dragon's miniature form.

 **["How'd I not see that coming?"]**  He sighed, appearing on Issei's shoulder.

"Who cares, I think this is nice." Issei smiled.

Kuroka silently snickered, making the motion of a bird with her hands.

'Seriously, why haven't they gotten together yet?' Amino questioned.

Everyone began exchanging their gifts, mixing a bit of heartwarming with a lot of comedy between it all, until finally... the only present left to give was one Yasaka had set out for Kunou.

"Why's this present kind of flat?" Verrine asked.

"This one's a bit... unique." Amino explained.

Handing it to Kunou, she opened it up and saw it was just a paper that said...

"Look at Vali's left hand?" She read aloud.

Moving her head up, the young Kyuubi noticed her extending it with one of her Pawns resting on it, with most of the people smiling as they already knew what it meant.

"Uh... what is this?" The Youkai Princess asked.

"Kunou, I have an offer for you." Vali replied, her smile brightening as she closed her eyes.

She raised an eye in confusion.

"Would you like to join us on our training journey?" The Lucifer Heiress asked.

Her eyes widened at that.

"I... I don't... why are... that's not possible." She asked, confused and surprised.

"We already know." Issei revealed.

Kunou blushed at that, looking at her sister who shook her head.

"Never said a thing, they already knew by then." She answered.

Looking at her mother, she gave a look as if to ask why, making Yasaka close her eyes as she gave the answer.

"Don't let what happened to me stop you?" She replied.

"Mother..." Kunou breathed.

"Your sister already knows what she wants, and if this is really your wish... know you have my blessing." Yasaka smiled.

Feeling tears well up in her ears, she looked towards Vali, seeing the Pawn in her hands. All of her emotions welling up.

"I... I..." She whispered.

Watching closely, everyone wondered what she'd decide, until she finally took the hand offered to her with a smile.

"Please, I want to see the world, so please... let me go with you!" Kunou shouted, finally stating her dream aloud.

"Glad to hear it Kunou." Vali smiled.

Lucifer chuckled a bit, looking at Yasaka as she did the same.

"Still can't believe you decided to do this." He admitted.

"Everyone has the right to find their own path, and most parents who want the best for their children should be allowed to let them seize their moment." She answered.

Closing his eyes, the Devil King lightly nodded his head.

"Alright, let's make it official." Vali stated, placing the Pawn in her hands.

Taking a deep breath, Kunou placed it inside of her, not feeling anything.

"Uh... did it not work?" She asked.

"Except when someone receives at least three or more Pawns, it take a while for them to kick in because they only have a single point value." Lucifer answered.

Kunou blinked a bit, giving an awkward chuckle in response.

"Now, since we're on the topic of announcements... I think it's time I announce Alivi and I will be returning to Kuoh Town." Lilith revealed.

"Wait, are you serious?" Issei asked.

"I am, bringing Alivi with us isn't the safest thing to do. It's also better that he grow up in his actual home." She confirmed.

Putting her hand on Verrine's shoulder, the jade-haired Devil looked towards her.

"Don't forget, I have my new retainers and the six that Lucifer stationed there before we left. There's no shortage of people to keep us safe." Lilith reassured them.

"Um, about that..." Fubuki interjected.

"Oh, is something wrong?" The Devil Queen asked, looking at her.

She shook her head.

"If anything... do you mind if I return home with you?" Fubuki requested.

That really surprised everyone.

"Not just her, I'd also like to return home if you don't mind." Homura confessed.

"W-what the... both of you!?" Issei exclaimed.

Rubbing her cheek, the younger of the Hyoudou sisters ended up being the one who finally spoke up.

"It's because... after all we've gone through, I want to follow my own path." She revealed.

"Your... own path?" Issei repeated.

"Not just her, that's exactly why both of us made this choice in our own ways. After everything that happened with helping Orochi find a sense of freedom? I realized what my path was, and that feeling was just so... well, I can't really describe it." Homura explained.

Fubuki nodded her head.

"I've always been shy, timid, and quiet... yet it was Gressil's words that finally pushed me to do better." She replied.

He blushed at that.

"Big brother? You made the choice to follow Vali, and it's clear that there's no doubt in that choice? But the two of us have realized where our paths will take us, so it's time we follow them by our terms." Fubuki smiled.

"Homura... Fubuki..." He said, leaving only him to hear it.

Shinri sighed, rubbing the back of his head.

"Well, I can't just leave you two locked out of the house, so I'll go back to Kuoh Town with you." He decided, looking at his wife.

"Don't worry sweetie, I can do find watching over Issei myself." She nodded, giving him her blessing.

Hearing all of this, Issei cried slightly, getting everyone's attention.

"Big brother?" Homura asked worriedly.

"Sorry, it's nothing bad, it's just... when did both of you grow so independent? You two aren't anything like you were back when I always had to be there for you." He smiled, wiping them away.

Hearing that, the two realized he was giving them his permission to walk their own paths.

"Just promise when I'm finally back home, you show me the strong women you'll become." He asked, sniffling one last time.

"Right!" Both promised.

And with that, their father followed them as they went to pack up, which is when Vali noticed Issei struggling to hold his smile.

* * *

_The then 7-year old Issei watched a 6-year old Homura running through the park, chasing after a nearby bird she had her eye on, laughing and giggling as he almost saw herself like that very bird itself._

_Looking the other way, he briefly saw a then 4-year old Fubuki hiding behind a tree, reading a book as she stayed alone._

_"You sure this is all you want to do here?" He asked._

_She nodded her head, not giving a vocal response... at the same moment crying escaped Homura's mouth. Shifting his focus, she saw she had tripped and scraped her leg._

_"Big brother... where are you?" She sniffled._

_"Don't worry, I've got this!" Issei shouted._

_Rushing over, he picked her up before carrying her towards their mother, getting Fubuki's attention for a brief moment._

_He glanced her way before sitting by her side, petting her head slightly._

* * *

Taking a deep breath, he looked at her.

"Vali, keep this in mind when it finally happens to... it's both happy and sad to know your brothers or sisters don't need to rely on you anymore." Issei stated, wiping the last of his tears.

"Everyone older siblings is like this, just as every younger sibling has to eventually see them make their own lives." Amino agreed.

She nodded her head, making a promise she wouldn't waste a moment with Alivi once their training journey came to an end.

"Well, either way? Our time in Kyoto's over as of today. Guess the only change is more of us are going on a certain train, so if that's the case..." Lucifer stated.

Looking at his wife, the Devil Queen tilted her head slightly.

"There's something I've been wanting to do, so think you can see if you, Shinri, and those two can get it started?" He asked.

"What is it?" Lilith asked.

"I've been thinking about this for a while, and... I want to make a private school for Supernatural races and the Humans who know of them. I get this feeling such a place will be important soon enough." Lucifer revealed.

Hearing that surprised her.

"So, do you think you can help me out?" The Devil King asked.

"Yes, and I think that's a wonderful idea." Lilith agreed.

Izanagi and Izanami smiled at the sight, getting a good feeling about what direction the world was heading.

* * *

Standing in the station, the sight of Lucifer at a ticket stand was seen.

"Excuse me, can you help me exchange these? My wife just had a baby and we've got a change of those who are riding for these." He asked.

"Of course, just tell me how many for each." The receptionist replied.

After a few minutes, their new tickets for a ride to Tokyo and Osaka were handed to the Devil King.

"Here you go, everyone's new tickets." He stated.

Taking them, Issei let out a deep breath before looking at his sisters, closing his eyes.

"Don't worry, we'll see each other again. Maybe soon than any of us think." Homura stated.

"Good luck out there." Fubuki wished.

"Same to you... just know I'm proud to be your older brother." Issei smiled.

At that moment, the announcements rang.

**【"** **Next stop: Osaka Station, all passengers may now board the train car.** **"】**

"Oh man, we've gotta hurry!" Vali exclaimed.

Rushing towards the train car, the group of Lucifer, Eve, Vali, Issei, Shirone, Kuroka, and Kunou made their way over to the train car. Before they ran out of time, they all managed to get inside, a mere half minute before the doors finally closed.

"Guess this is it, to Osaka and then a plane to China." The oldest Hyoudou sibling stated.

Right as the train car began to move...

"Hey, big brother!"

"Over here!"

Freezing for a moment, Issei turned to the window before a huge gasp left his mouth.

"Hmm, what is it-" Vali asked.

**「Love Live: Muse's no Hajimari」**

She quickly went quiet as she saw it as well, gasping slightly.

Looking from part of the track area beyond the station, they saw Issei's sisters as they waved their arms, running as far as the path they were on allowed them to.

"Here's the proof of our promise!" They both shouted.

Throwing their right arms into the air, they held up their pinkies as if making a pinkie promise. The sight making Issei's eyes widen as they started watering.

"Look at that." Kunou smiled.

"Guess those two are as crazy as you are." Kuroka remarked, looking at him.

Starting to cry audibly, Issei wiped his tears away.

"Homura... Fubuki... thank you!" He exclaimed.

Eve joined her son as they waved goodbye to the duo, who finally let their own tears fall as they quickly went out of sight.

"As we meeting one another, we also part and say goodbye... and both make us grow." Lilith stated, watching from afar.

Hearing another announcement, the sisters gasped as they rushed back.

"Next stop, Kuoh Town!" Verrine shouted, raising a fist into the sky.

**「Insert Song End」**

Just like the train Issei and Vali left on, theirs soon left the station, fully marking the two paths every in each had chosen to take. Releasing one more breath... the host of Ddraig formed his resolve.

Whatever was next to come their way, he would face it without fear.

* * *

**Yeah, the chapter's name was literal. As we've got a reboot incoming? I guess telling you spoilers related to the immediate after is fine, since this scene was one of the many things that created the knot I couldn't untie. I originally didn't intend for these two to go, but then thought I could make them the story's equivalent to the Vali Team, then thought they should just vanish for a while and come back latter.**

**Next arc was going to be China as mentioned, but eventually I considered having the Slash/Dog and Denpachi events happen before it as a way to introduce Tobio, Sae, Hina, and Nanami into the story. However, my original intent was related to the mention of the Ally Pieces, as Verrine and her brothers, along with Issei's own sisters, were going to be in his own peerage formed through the Ally Pieces.**

**That's when things got messy, since I also had ideas with Ingvild joining Vali, then moved her to Issei, then had Ruihi in mind for that with... something I won't say as I think this idea I had only worked with the original, so I may just create a story specifically for Ruihi that can use this idea, meaning I can't mention this part or I'd give the entire story's plot away.**

**Then I moved them out, thought of adding Issei into Vali's peerage like the original (only he'd be last to join), and then everything fell apart from there. Guess the main problem is I had too many ideas not fully settled in around the time I made it to this chapter, and it blew up on me. I think for the next version of this story, I should only do a chapter or two and make sure I've got enough of the major stuff settled before updating every few days.**

**Until next time everyone, and stay awesome! ^^**


	17. Chapter 17

**This is it everyone. With this chapter, the announcement of LOHD's third version is confirmed! Just to remind everyone? You'll see this version stay until April 30th, that way everyone gets a chance to read this chapter and the last, while also making sure you all know about the new version being out. For the chapter itself? This is the first of many chapters that would be used as breaks between Issei and Vali's story.**

**For this one in particular, it's focusing on Irina during her time at the Vatican, with Xenovia and Asia confirmed to be with her as of the earlier chapters. Dulio was also seen with her, but he's not directly at the Vatican since he's already become Michael's Joker. The main reason you saw him was because most of the Longinus users were being shown, though in-story he was also doing a job by the Vatican's request.**

**This chapter may feel a little off, but that's mostly because before the reboot was decided, it was planned to be two chapters, so I had to trim out a lot of scenes that I originally wanted to use and alter the ones that remained. While the particular events in this chapter likely won't be transferring to the third version, some of the things shown before will, so I'd pay attention to the hints I show.**

**One last thing I'll say before I begin? I'd like to thank everyone that helped me out in preparing, you really helped me out, and I'm fully confident in myself. I'd like to give thanks to kingpariah, SlashFan2018, and Shini Kurogane especially, who've all offered to help me out as a safety precaution in avoiding the problems I've faced this time. I'd also like to thank AzureStoryTeller, who helped me with some ideas, which also let me realize I haven't lost my touch.**

**Let's get this chapter started!**

* * *

**()**  - Albion Talking via the Divine Dividing

 **[]**  - Ddraig Talking via the Boosted Gear

 **«»**  - Consciousness of any other Sacred Gear Talking

 **〖〗**  - Voice Speaking through a Magic Circle

 **【】**  - Voice made by an Announcement or through an Announcer

 **「」**  - Insert Song Beginning or Ending

『』 - Electrical Voice or Machine Speaking

* * *

**_Chapter 16 - Day in the Angel Light_ **

As the crazy events in Kyoto were going on, a smaller one had been occurring within Europe, specifically in the country of Italy. At the moment, Irina could be seen writing a letter to Issei's house.

While she knew that he, his sisters, and Vali had left home? Irina still wrote her letters for when they finally returned, just so they could get an idea of her progress.

"I don't know if we'll meet up on your training journey, but it sounds like you're all doing something just as important as me leaving to develop my powers as an Angel. Let me know of any new friends you make, like I did with my last letter." She said aloud, writing it on her letter.

"Hey, Irina! Time for morning training!" Xenovia shouted.

Hearing that, her eyes widened as she placed her pen down and rushed around her dorm's bed area, frantically looking for a few things.

"Oh man! Uh... where's my exorcist cloak, and my sword, and... am I even remembering everything!?" She panicked, looking around.

As she ran, she tripped over something and screamed.

Opening the door, Xenovia walked into the room, giving a confused look as she saw a twitching Irina on the ground with her eyes spiraling. Sighing a bit, Xenovia kneeled by her friend as she gave her a deadpan look.

"Here lies the clumsy daughter of Lady Gabriel, head of all Angels." Xenovia remarked.

"Not funny..." Irina replied, her disoriented form pointing at her.

Looking at what she tripped over, Xenovia pulled out a suitcase that was showing the sheath to her sword. Looking at it, Irina blushed in embarrassment, grabbing them before coughing a few times.

"We speak nothing of this." Irina warned, pointing at her.

She ran off, with Xenovia just giving a blank look before following her towards the Vatican Church, picking up her own suitcase and a white card with a Spade on it.

* * *

Rushing into the Church, a hooded Irina was seen as the walking Xenovia followed her, wearing the same hood.

Upon making it to a certain area, another three hooded figures around the two girls' ages could be seen, along with two women in sister outfits that had their appearances on full display. One was younger, being in her early 20's, while the other was in her late 20's to early 30's.

"Ah, there they are." The younger woman smiled.

Said woman was a beauty with deceptively large breasts underneath her dress, having dirty blonde hair reaching her middle back and gray eyes with a blue tint to them, with an A that had its gap in a heart-shape on her right hand.

Her name was Mirana Shatarova, better known as the Ace of Hearts in Gabriel's Brave Saints and her strongest Saint.

"I'm sorry we're late, my suitcase slipped under my bed and I couldn't find it!" Irina apologized, bowing a few times.

"What she said." Xenovia agreed, pointing at her.

After she said that, the other woman walked up to Xenovia and pinched her cheeks slightly, giving her a stern smile as she looked her in the eyes. Said woman had short brown hair with blue eyes, with a Q on her right hand.

Her name was Griselda Quarta, better known as the Queen in Gabriel's Brave Saints.

"What have I told you about being respectful to others and your fellow members of the church, my  _lovely_  daughter." Griselda questioned, doing so ironically.

"U-uh... well, you..." Xenovia stuttered, sweating as she looked to the side.

"That was a rhetorical question." She interjected, pinching her cheeks more.

Letting go of her cheeks as she fell on her butt, Xenovia blushed in embarrassment as one of the hooded figures gave a playful laugh, revealing his voice was male.

"I wouldn't continue doing that if I were you." Griselda warned.

He quickly stopped, with Irina and Xenovia joining them as they lined up.

"Everyone? We've heard rumors of an old member of the church being up to something, one we need you to take care of." Mirana explained.

"Do you know who it is?" Irina asked.

"Yes, the Legendary Sage is our culprit. The few sightings of some Homunculus have only helped to prove it." Griselda confirmed.

All five of them gasped upon hearing that.

"That's the man who was believed to have been the closest to creating a Philosopher Stone. The technology the Ancient Gods made to power the Gogmagogs during the end of the Great War." Xenovia mentioned.

"Correct, and since we don't know what you may face? We've called for some extra hands." Mirana smiled.

Whistling a bit, two crosses of light descended into the room. The first revealed himself to be Dulio, who gave a friendly smile as he saw everyone, while the second figure was wearing a hood that hid his or her appearance.

"Hello everyone." He greeted.

"Dulio, good to see you again!" Irina cheered, waving back.

"Though who's that?" Xenovia asked, looking at the other.

"Everyone? I'd like you to meet the second Joker of the Brave Saints that serves under Gabriel, along with the Incinerate Anthem's current wielder." Mirana revealed, holding a hand towards her.

Removing their hood, the group of five saw a girl that resembled Sieg, only with hair that was a mix of black and white that she had tied in a bun. Her outfit consisted of the female Church battle attire with a priest jacket, along with a gun holster holding a rifle blessed with holy power.

"Lint Sellzen, at your service." She greeted, bowing slightly.

"Wait, did you just say Sellzen? As in she's related to-" Irina gasped, pointing a shaking finger at her.

"Yeah... unfortunately for me, that lunatic just happens to be my older brother." Lint confirmed.

*"COUGH!"*

Hearing Griselda clear her throat, everyone moved their focus back to her.

"We need you to find out what he's planning and then stop him. Can we count on you Irina, Xenovia, Sieg, Jeanne, and Asia?" Mirana asked.

"Of course." They all answered.

"Glad to hear it. Now, let God be your guide." Mirana smiled, making a praying motion.

"Dear god, please be our guide." They all prayed.

With that, all of them left the Church along with Heaven's Jokers, preparing for the task of catching the Legendary Sage.

* * *

Once they were outside, Irina pulled off her hood before looking at her friends.

"So, does anyone know what our plan is?" She asked.

"I do, but you usually say no to my plans whenever I suggest one." Xenovia replied, pulling her hood off.

Sieg laughed as he pulled his hood down.

"Maybe that's because you always offer the same plan? Which is to rush to the source and nothing more." He mentioned, raising an eyebrow.

Xenovia tried to make a retort, but...

"Just saying we'll do it fast doesn't make it a different plan." Jeanne stated, quickly pulling her hood down.

She was revealed to have blonde hair tied in a ponytail and sky-blue eyes, with a saintly look on her face.

The last figure pulled down their hood, revealing it was Asia.

"Mirana and Griselda mentioned Homunculus sightings, didn't they? Maybe we should have a stake out during the night and have one of us act as bait to draw them out?" Asia suggested.

"That's right, you could trace its magic back to the source." Irina realized.

"Guess we have a plan then, so while we wait for night to roll in..." Dulio agreed, nodding his head excitedly.

He reached behind his back before pulling out two trays of triple patty burgers topped with everything.

"Who wants to try some Texas beef?" He smiled.

"Ooh!" Everyone exclaimed, holding out their hands.

Asia wasn't as certain, making Dulio blink a bit before realized what was the problem, making him giggle slightly.

"You use your hands to eat it, like this." Dulio explained.

Just for emphasis, he took one and bite into it, leaving some ketchup splatter around his mouth.

"Wow, I didn't know there was food like that." Asia said, her eyes sparkling in surprise and awe.

"That's what call fast food." Irina explained.

Taking a burger, Asia took a clean bite as she made a face of enjoyment, reflexively making her halo and single pair of wings pop out.

"Uh... Asia, your wings." Xenovia whispered.

She looked behind herself, blushing and giving a smile of embarrassment as she pushed them back in.

* * *

A few hours passed by until the light of the moon began shining over Italy, eventually becoming dark enough that most, if not everyone had already home for the day. Irina and the others hid as she looked at her phone.

"Asia, the clock just hit 7. Get into position." She whispered, holding a Brave Saint card with a Heart on it.

〖"OK, I'm moving in."〗 She whispered back.

Walking into view, the wind blew a bit as Asia's sister outfit flew a bit. Nothing happened, so she kept walking along, which is when Sieg and Jeanne moved to a different hiding position.

After having their first relocation set, Sieg and Jeanne pulled out a Spade and Diamond card respectively to contact them.

"No signs on the ground just yet." Jeanne stated.

"Think you give us some eyes in the sky?" Sieg asked.

"Sure thing." Irina replied.

Turning her head to Xenovia, she made a motion to the sky, making her nod as they spread their wings and flew into the sky. Moments after, they suddenly vanished into thin air.

After some more time passed, Asia looked around until finally...

*"STOMP!"*

She gasped as the sight of a giant creatures made out of mud or dark clay with a few stones embedded onto it. It opened its mouth, showing some stones acted as the whole set of teeth on its upper and lower jawline.

Its pink eyes glowed brightly, slowly opening its mouth as it looked at her until finally...

*"ROAR!"*

Asia gasped, quickly turning around.

"Everyone, it's here!" She exclaimed.

As the Homunculus prepared to unleash some kind of beam at her? Jeanne immediately jumped into view, drawing out an oriental rapier from its sheath.

" **Blade Blacksmith!** "

A group of holy swords gathered and fused to make a shiny wall of white crystals, blocking the beam as she landed by her friend.

"Weird, I didn't feel any resistance from that beam. Was it not an attack?" Jeanne wondered.

From the Homunculus' backside, Sieg rushed with one of his Cursed Swords and slashed through it, making it roar as some of the mud creating its body splattered onto the ground.

"Based on my attack? My assumption is that beam had a weakening effect due counter its fragile form." Sieg assumed.

It was then that Irina and Xenovia caught up with the group.

"What have we missed so far?" Irina asked.

"Just me blocking a beam with an unknown effect and Sieg finding out it's not very durable." Jeanne answered.

"Then let me break it down!" Xenovia exclaimed.

Holding her hand out, she closed her eyes as she focused her holy powers to her fingertips.

**_"Oh Peter... oh Basileus and Dionysus, and the blessed virgin Mary... I ask you to hear my prayers and please lend me your strength!"_ **

A magic circle formed as her hand stuck inside of it.

"In the name of the Saint living within this blade, I hereby set you free!" Xenovia exclaimed.

She pulled out a large blue sword held by chains, which released once her hand tightened on its hilt.

"Now, let's go!" She stated.

"Right!" Irina nodded.

Drawing out her own sword, the two unleashed powerful holy slashes at the monster, which shifted its muddy form to evade them. From the rooftops, Dulio and Lint watched their juniors battle.

"Think we need to lend them a hand during this?" Lint asked.

"Not yet, I think they can beat this creature without us. Not to mention they'd never grow if we came to help them at the first sign of trouble." Dulio replied.

She nodded her head, remembering the start of her training.

Irina swung her sword to the side, suddenly multiplying into multiple copies that caught the Homunculus off guard.

"Now take this!" They all exclaimed.

Rushing towards the monster one by one, they all swung as it flexed to dodge the slashes she and her copies tried to hit him with. Jeanne piggybacked off this by forming a Holy Sword in her hand.

" **Holy Sword of Lightning!** "

Unleashing the electrical force on the Homunculus... it did nothing, just turning at her as she showed surprise.

"What the? Mud isn't an insulator, right?" Jeanne asked.

"It isn't, but its body may have let it ground the surge into the ground." Sieg guessed.

It slowly stopped, closing its eyes for a moment as everyone looked at it with confusion.

This worked just as the Homunculus expected, letting the part of it that was sliced off have its eyes appear on it, quickly firing charging its beam before it hit Asia. Everyone turned as she saw her scream, soon falling onto her knees.

"Asia, are you OK!?" Irina exclaimed.

She whimpered for a moment, but didn't notice anything was wrong after a few seconds passed by.

"Yeah, I think I'm OK." She reassured them.

"So, if it doesn't use that beam to attack, and Asia didn't feel anything... what does it do?" Jeanne wondered.

Right as she asked, the wind went by, and Asia blushed as she felt something different once it blew on her.

"Horrible..." She cried, covering her chest and the bottom of her dress.

"Wait, did you figure out what it did?" Xenovia questioned, raising an eye at her strange choice of a reaction.

"It... it..." Asia whimpered.

Sieg turned back to the Homunculus, only to blush and cover her eyes.

"You... might want to look at its mouth..." He advised, pointing at it.

Following his finger, they all looked in that direction... only for all of the girls to blush in shock and horror as they saw Asia's bra and panties being held in its mouth.

"Dulio, can this be a reason for me to intervene?" Lint questioned, her eyes shadowed as a red glow came from them.

"Uh... seeing as this is something a girl would be angry over? I guess you can give them a small hand." He answered.

Right as she did, he suddenly stopped her.

"Wait, not just yet. I think it might be about to do something I'd like to verify first." Dulio warned.

"Then just let me know when it's safe." She nodded.

Asia whimpered, still covering herself as Irina looked at the situation.

"Don't worry Asia, I'll get them back. Everyone? I need an opening, so avoid directly attacking its upper torso for a moment." Irina stated.

"Understood!" Everyone replied.

They all split up as the Homunculus focused on Jeanne and Xenovia, getting Sieg's attention.

'So, attacking Asia wasn't random. It's only trying to steal women's underwear!' He realized.

Rushing right in, he sliced at its legs, making it stumble.

"Sieg?" Xenovia said in surprise.

"Keep its eyes on you, this thing doesn't seem interested in men's underwear." Sieg shouted.

"Ugh... this night's going splendidly." Jeanne sighed, wishing she hadn't heard that.

Xenovia and Jeanne swung at its legs from a distance, making it dodge as Sieg took another attack from behind, making it roar as its arm got sliced off this time. Seeing her opening, Irina reeled her sword back with one hand.

" **Mimicry!** "

She threw it forward as the blade became like a whip, wrapping around Asia's underwear and pulling it away. The Homunculus' eyes widened as she handed them back to their owner.

"Thank you!" Asia smiled.

"Go put them back on as we finish this beast off." Irina advised.

Nodding her head, Asia ran off as her friends gathered together.

" **Blessing!** "

Sieg, Jeanne, and Xenovia all felt their power well up as Irina's sword empowered them with a massive amount of energy.

"Always liked Excalibur's power." Jeanne smirked.

Taking the lead, Sieg jumped into the air, with the Homunculus ignoring him for the trio of girls gathered together. That proved to be a vital mistake when his Cursed Sword's power charged up.

" **Gram!** "

With a single swing, an explosive amount of power hit the Homunculus and knocked it back.

" **Hauteclere!** "  
" **Durandal!** "

Both swung their Holy Swords as they cut through its backside, making it explode into nothing. As the mud sprayed everywhere, Lint gave Dulio a look, shaking her head.

"You just didn't want me to get involved, didn't you?" She asked.

"Wait for it..." He replied.

As everyone took a breather, the mud suddenly stretched out and grabbed everyone.

"What the!?" Irina exclaimed.

Reforming its body as the stretched mud took the form of hands that tightened their holds on them, Lint paused before nodding in realization.

"Oh... that's what you were worried about." Lint stated.

"Yep, so now you can jump in and help." Dulio confirmed.

Smirking as she grabbed her gun and made a sword of purple fire, Lint spread out her silver-colored Angel wings as she dashed towards the Homunculus.

" **Judgment Flare!** "

Throwing her sword at the Homunculus, it suddenly gave a weird look before the heated sword hardened it into a rock.

Aiming her gun, she quickly fired her gun in certain spots until it shattered apart.

Everyone landed on the ground, feeling a bit dazed over the sudden grab and drop.

"Lint? Thank you, but next time... can you give us a warning? You know, so we can get into our crash positions?" Irina asked, trying to hold her spinning head in place.

"Oh, sorry about that." She chuckled, rubbing her cheek slightly.

Asia walked back into view, looking at the scene in confusion.

"Don't ask..." Sieg warned.

"OK..." Asia nervously agreed, looking to the side slightly.

"While we catch our breathes, how about you start tracing that Homunculus back to its source?" Irina suggested, taking deep breaths.

She nodded her head, placing a hand over the mud as she sensed something, a powerful green glow releasing itself from her hands.

Dulio flew by the group as she did.

"Got anything?" He asked, a curious look on his face.

"I do, but... it doesn't look like the Legendary Sage made this Homunculus. Either this is someone else, or depending on its unexpected ability to regenerate until Lint's flames hardened it into a statue, he has an ally that helped make the magic to make sure he'd have more time for whatever he's planning." Asia replied.

"Then hopefully, finding him will lead us to the Legendary Sage." Dulio realized.

Lint gave an excited look as she reloaded her gun with holy energy, setting the reloaded cartridge back into place.

"Alright then, let's go." She stated.

* * *

Walking for a period of time, the group eventually found the building Asia traced the Homunculus' remains to.

"This is it." She stated, pointing at it.

"Alright, I'll near the top of the building. We'll draw him there by having the rest of you draw the culprit out and surround them." Irina decided.

She turned to Lint.

"You'll go with Asia and Xenovia on the west wing." She explained.

And then moved her attention to Dulio.

"While you lead Jeanne and Sieg through the east wing." Irina continued.

"Got it." Both nodded.

"Alright then, let's do this." Irina stated.

And she immediately flew to the rooftop.

Dulio and Lint then lead each of their groups inside the building, with Lint immediately forming another fiery sword.

"See anything?" She whispered to her team.

"Not yet." Asia replied, shaking her head.

Xenovia didn't reply, though soon felt she heard something, making her form a sword of light.

"I'm guessing you do-" Lint realized.

She had her hand covered by Xenovia's mouth, making her blink a few times. Xenovia quickly rushed ahead as she swung across the walls, breaking it down to reveal someone hiding behind them, causing their eyes to widen.

"Found you."

"Damn, that was impressive." Lint praised.

Their mysterious culprit ran, panting as he tried to form some distance between them.

"Hey, get back here!" Xenovia screamed.

The mystery man laughed as he tapped the wall, forming a magic circle that caused the area to rumble a bit.

"W-What's going on?" Asia questioned.

"I'm not sure!" Lint exclaimed.

"Both of you, look out!" Xenovia warned.

Something massive flew at them, making Lint hold out her arm as she thrust her fire sword forward, making whatever it was turn around midair... making her see what is was.

"Green slime, don't let it touch you!" She shouted.

"Why?" Xenovia asked.

Some of its body dripped on her, making her shout as she saw it burn through part of her outfit and leave a burn.

"They're acidic..." Lint answered.

As the mystery man kept running off, he looked behind himself and laughed, right as a sword swung his way. He gasped and jumped over it, revealing Siegfried as the culprit.

"Sorry, but you won't be getting away that easily." He declared.

"Heh, oh really?" He smirked.

Moving his arm back to strike the wall, it was covered by Holy Swords as Jeanne walked into view.

"I'd be careful if I were you." She warned.

"And if that isn't enough, we also have this to keep you at bay." Siegfried added.

Purple and normal flames surrounded him, making the man turn to see his slime splattered across the ground as both groups surrounded him.

"No, I won't be caught here!" He shouted.

Jumping into the sky, a holy spear was thrown into his arm, making him scream as he tumbled onto the rooftop. Irina floated to the ground, soon tossing a Holy Ring to bind him in place.

"I believe you just were." She said, winking playfully.

Irina floated to the ground, seeing everyone gather.

"Everyone alright?" Irina asked.

"Xenovia got a slight burn, but Asia took care of that already, so we're good." Lina answered.

"OK then. Asia, see if this guy leads us to the real Legendary Sage." Irina stated.

"Right." She nodded.

Kneeling by the downed man of mystery, she placed her hands on his ears and began sensing for a magical trace, managing to catch it.

"I've found it, and it's at..."

* * *

Everyone was standing at an abandoned building deep out in the forests.

"Quite the irony, the last place we'd expect leads to the last place we'd know about. It makes sense the Legendary Sage would be hiding in such a place." Siegfried remarked.

"Hmm? Quiet everyone, I hear something..." Dulio warned, holding a hand towards his ear.

*"HISS!"*

The sound was quickly heard by everyone, making them all scurry away as they hid behind the trees.

It was just in time no less, as the source of the sound was revealed to be a plant with a reptilian head.

"What the heck is that?" Irina asked.

"Looks like a chimera. Maybe part Dragon going by the head, part some kind of plant based I'm not familiar with." Jeanne guessed.

"Definitely a Devil plant, and I bet a Fire Dragon if you're right. I'm certain the Legendary Sage would think to counter the usual weakness of plants." Lint replied, focusing her eyes on it.

Everyone looked at Dulio, who nodded his head as he slid into the bushes.

" **Balance Breaker!** "

Hearing his voice, the Dragon Chimera turned its head and launched its vines at Dulio, who flew into the air and unleashed his storm of weather attacks.

Openings its mouth and a few flowers, the Chimera unleashed fire with some methane gas, causing explosions to fire off as its blaze spread over the area.

"Now, now!" Lint shouted.

Rushing into the building before they were noticed, everyone came across a door.

"Well, looks like we know where we're going." Asia realized.

"Yeah, let's be ready for whatever's in there." Irina agreed.

Slicing the door down, Xenovia took the lead for the group, who slowly followed her as they tried to be as quiet as possible. After walking for a bit, all they found was... an empty room.

The Legendary Sage had already disappeared, but not the work he had done.

"Seems this was just another decoy..." Lint sighed, dispelling her fire sword.

"Hopefully we can figure out what he was doing, so let's all take a look around. Just... don't touch anything if it's a liquid." Irina decided.

Jeanne shivered.

"Don't remind me, it took forever to remove the stench." She remarked.

Lint gave a weird look as Asia waved her hands, telling her to drop it.

With that, everyone began their search, and a few minutes into it... Asia gasped as she found some papers and a box.

"Guys, I think I found something." She mentioned.

Lint walked over and looked at the papers, letting out a gasp as she opened the box to reveal some blue crystals.

"Hold on, those are..." Irina realized.

"Holy Factor Crystals, those despicable creations made by Valper in his Holy Sword Project... looks like Lady Sandalphon's worries about them were right." Siegfried remarked.

"That's not the only issue, you might want to see what else is on these papers." Lint mentioned.

Irina took a look at it, gasping at what she saw... especially due to where the location was marked. Vali and Issei were about to be dragged into something, and this was only one part of the puzzle.

"Oh no..." She breathed, feeling her arms tremble.

* * *

**Well, that's it for the second version. I'll hopefully see all of you in the third. For those who want to know what that bit at the end would have eventually led to? To answer that without giving away any spoilers for ideas and such that will transfer over, since I had the idea for an arc based on Slashdog and Denpachi, the Legendary Sage would have succeeded in making a Philosopher's Stone that would influence the Denpachi half of things.**

**For some last things I'll talk about before we fully transfer over, and as a friendly reminder? Some ideas from the old version will transfer over, but not all, some of which are going to fade... and others that will hopefully become their own stories in the future! I'm already thinking on how to use the original's idea for Ruihi as a story of its own.**

**Characters like Stella will also be making a return, but others won't be, as the most important thing for this version? I think trying to have the startup of this version be nearly identical to its predecessor isn't the best idea. I need to give you something familiar, but also different enough the veterans get the same magic with a fresh new perspective to have you just as surprised.**

**While I can't directly say what they are, part of it will capture the original's magic this one had trouble grasping with how I set it up, and it _definitely_  won't take as long for the events of our main duo's childhood to catch up to their high school years. Add that in with the areas this version a few people felt were done better, and I'm certain this will be the best version of all three.**

**Until next time everyone, and stay awesome! ^^**


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